I had an interesting story . . . something that happened tonight.

Tonight, I was working "Hymns of the Faith" at First Baptist Orlando. I had been tweeting with another one of the volunteers for broadcast, Michael throughout the afternoon. Unfortunately, he could not be with us tonight, because he was working later tonight. But, we were blessed with having his wife, serve with us tonight!

He was not able to get in touch with his wife to ask her a quick question. I assume he could have sent a text message or something, maybe he did, but I guess her phone was away in her purse our of her reach. Michael ended up sending me a "Tweet" to ask his wife the question. I was able to pass on the message then became the mediator between him and his wife.

It was great. So you see, Twitter is not about posting useless information, which some people live their life believing. It is about sharing information, keeping in touch with others and being informative. For all fo you Twitter haters out there, get over yourself. It can be useful and is for many many Twitter users. Don't bash something just because you do not use it. That is something that I can not stand.

-Ken

Labels: cell phones, haters, informative, mediator, message, Michael, social networking, tweet, twitter

Thanks for reading. This will start a multi-part blog for me...organized my categories.

I look back upon my life in the last year or so. My "word of the year" for 2009 is "Change." Ironically, this has nothing to do with the political campaign of someone. I realized at the end of 2008 that 2009 would be the year for change in my life and probably others. Change is something that all of us go through in our lives, sometimes good . . . other times not so much.

Organization

As I grow up, I feel the need to live life organized. Nothing is more irritating than living life unorganized. I have put forth efforts to have a better schedule, which includes having a certain time that is consistent for going to sleep each night and waking up in the mornings.

I tend to go to bed earlier and wake up early. When I tell some people this, they tend to think it is odd. In reality, it is not. Maintaining a schedule, I believe, is part of a disciplined lifestyle. It aids in getting certain tasks done while allowing one to get enough rest for the day to follow.

I have always been a stickler for keeping things such as computers, files and movies organized . . . again, another aspect of what keeping with the disciplined lifestyle. I have begun living by a calendar and following that as best as I can. That has helped me to not forget about certain things, which had been an issue in the past.

It is for your best interest, if you do not already to live an organized life. I would really encourage you to do so if you are not already. Organization is key. People respect those who are organized. It makes you as a person look more professional than being unorganized Employers look for individuals that are organized. It makes you more and more dependable.

-Ken

Labels: 2009, change, Change in my Life, disciplined, maturity, Oragnization, word of the year

Ever get that annoying song stuck in your head? One that if it isn't just plain annoying you would be embarrassed to tell anyone about?

Try this: Completely play a song by Journey. Focus on the words and sing it. I will bet that you will no longer be singing that annoying or embarrassing song! It works every time! Just try it!

-Ken

Labels: annoying, journey, music

So, I decided today that I am going to start occasionally doing polls on my Twitter to get some feedback from the world on topics I would like to blog about. But before doing that, I want to go on a rant here for a minute. People say many things, take those with a grain of salt. A guy that I know, attempts to rub it in my face that I am addicted to Facebook / or this new "stupid" (the exact word he used) thing called Twitter. Say what you want, social networking is what I do. It is a great way of keeping in touch with folks from past and present. It is the way of the future. Adjust, or get out.

Anyway, the question that I Tweeted today was "What was your initial thought of Twitter? Has that changed? What do you think now? Responses may be used in a blog post."

Thank you all for your responses! I would like to focus on two...first the irritated tweeter. Ashley (Orlando, FL): "ugh...twitter...theres a limit on how long your private messages are so when im trying to catch up with a friend i havent seen in awhile its a pain in the ass plus the whole user interface could be organized a little better.. im just in a mood to complain" Good point, is it a little irritating at times with having a 140 character limit. But...I am a firm believer that it makes you be concise in your messages. Suggestion if you would like to have a detailed conversation with a long-lost friend, send them a message through another medium. There are many other ways to connect to people. Even if they do not have a Facebook or the dreaded MySpace, surely they have an e-mail address. In fact you have to inorder to use Twitter!

The second response I would like to focus on is the positive tweeter. Michelle (Atlanta, GA): "My initial thought of twitter was "what in the world is that? And why do people love it?" Now I think it's pretty awesome! . . . I like connecting to others....and twitter is just one more way to do it. It gets word spread quickly too!" This response coincides more with my initial thought. I did not know much about it at first, but now, I am very fond of it. It has connected me with some new people and has given me a closer connection with people that I am friends with and some that I see everyday!

One thing that I enjoy knowing is what my friends are up to. Twitter uses the internet to bring that information to me and in a way, it is sorta like being with that person, but physically not. Does that make sense? Twitter has much potential. I think that it needs to stay the way it is, I would hate for someone to come along and reuin it, just like Facebook and other social networks. Facebook attempted to do the same thing Twitter does in their recent update, but I am not very fond of it. Facebook should be more non-status based.

If you are not a Twitter user, I would encourage you to try it out!

-Ken

Labels: facebook, poll, rant, social networking, twitter, twitter poll

The Memorial Day weekend services at First Orlando were absolutely top notch! I was there to witness most of them, and going into the services, we were unsure of what was going to happen. These services are very special to most people in the congregation and especially our Senior Pastor, David Uth. Changes were made to each service minutes before the Sunday services. It is amazing to see what a little prayer can do. That is proof that God is in control. If we were to do these services out of our flesh we would fail each time. This Memorial Day, let us celebrate in thanks those who have fought for and served our country out of love. It takes much passion and fear to serve this country, and I am thankful each day for their service.

Also, lift up Doug Pierce, one of the worship leaders at First Baptist Orlando. He has a medical condition, but I have every confidence that God will heal him and be a testimony to His power. Doug, I am praying for you and your family. Thanks for all that you do for God's ministry. Your church family loves you. Have a blessed memorial day! -

-Ken

Labels: America, Doug Pierce, First Baptist Church Orlando, FIrst Orlando, Memorial Day, ministry, production, Remember

Last night, I had the opportunity to go to my instructors church. I
was under the assumption that he was going to simply show us around
the reinforcement systems they had on campus. It turned out that was
just a little bit of what we were able to do there.

In fact, they have an entire system and staging they have to setup for
the Sunday overflow and childrens services they have on Sunday! I was
able to assist in this process. I must say, it was a great experience!
Vince is using a DigiDesign FOH console in that venue. I must say,
looking at that control surface for the first time may throw a person
into a confused state, but once you take a minute or two to sit down
and play with the control surface, it really makes sense.

This experience made me think of the first time I did a show on a
Yamaha digital console at my previous church. It was just
installed...the installtion was the finest part! I knew how to use the
system, and made it through the dress rehearsals just fine. I was
scared to death though...I was scar3d that somethingwpuld happen
during the service that I could not correct, but could if the same
thing happened on an analog console! The show turned out fine, and by
the end of it I was fairly confident with my abilities with that desk.

Digital consoles are wonderful. In some scenarios, I prefer them over
analog systems. Many people tend to be scared of them, but in reality
you can do exactly the same thing on a digital system that you can on
an analog. Most of the time it is even easier. There is criteria that
make up a good or bad digital console, and that is a factor you have
to figure when going out to make the purchase.

Ken Miller, Jr.
Sent from my iPhone.
Web: www.kintmiller.com
Moblog: www.kintmiller.mobi

Labels: analog, audio, church, control surface, digidesign, digital, foh, future, upgrade

So I am sending this blog as I watch a live lab at Full Sail. I have to say, the band is awful! With that being said, I do not want anyone in the group to be offended by their performance! I see a lot of knowledge in that group of students. So what if you mis a que, screw up or cut to the wrong camera. Many priceless lessons can be learned in school. At least you made the mistake here and not on tour with a major band or during a live performance!

-Ken

Labels: Full Sail, Live lab, PM5D, production, Yamaha

Today, the internet search giant, Google encountered some "turbulence" when attempting to adjust some key routing numbers, in an on-going effort to transition from an older networking standard to a newer one called IPv6. This was a major issue for the search giant, leaving about 14% of their user-base in the internet dark.

Larger ISP networks that "peer" off of Google, such as AT&T, Verizon and others that are interconnected with the Google networks were effected greatly by this glitch. Google did have a backup system which became activated. This server is based in Asia, and was not designed to handle the amount of traffic the internet threw at it. This caused a major traffic issue, just as a simple car accident can bog down an interstate for miles. Google had the glitch repaired, stories report, by 9:14am PST.

Was this a forgivable mistake? Or should we start tallying up the points for Google? The way I see it, although it may be annoying or an inconvience at the time it occured, things happen. Google does, have backups for when a specific cluster of servers goes down, which is good. I have no beef with Google. I do rely very heavily upon Google. From e-mail, calendar, blogging, chat, news gathering, maps, research...blah blah. I would say about 80% of my internet activity would not exist without Google. What is amazing though is that a major glitch was repaired within an hour and everything was back up and working properly. If this had been a larger period of time, things may be different.

Point number two. I think patience has lost its value in society today. People seem to be in "I need it NOW" type of mindset. They then proceed to throw a hissy fit when time is not in their favor. One of many things that my parents drilled into my head is patience. When I see people demainding something "now" then observing the temper tantrum afterward, I just sit back and realize...do they know what kind of fools they are making of themselves? Really? What would they be thinking if they were watching themselves through my eyes?

Do some thinking. Take today and be patient. Even if it takes a few more seconds than longer to do something simple on the computer, calm down. Does that five seconds really matter that much in the long run??

-Ken

Read the complete story here.

Labels: application, att, glitch, gmail, google, hissy fit, internet, ipv6, mistakes, patience, verizon

So, I am at a landmark place with my personal Twitter account. I almost have 1,000 updates. In my advancement of life, I have been able to see and be a part of the social networking spectrum. It seems as though the growth and advancement of the internet leads the way for the growth of social networking.

As with anything, we all find yourself settling with some type of social network that we are comfortable with, such as the types of clothes we wear. You would never wear clothes that are not favoring of your personal style. Currently, my favorite social networks are Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. I am most comfortable with those. I also use Google's Reader to subscribe to numerous blogs that are of interest to me.

Social networks are a great way of staying connected with current and past friends and colleagues...and in addition also a way of making new friends that you may have lived your life without ever meeting. It is very interesting some of the people that I have stumbled upon. I know, I know...what is going through your head at this point, "Oh my goodness, you shouldn't ever meet people online! That is dangerous!!" Yes, you have a point, but as long as you are smart and careful about it, everything should be fine.

In addition to following and meeting people, I believe the social networks have a great opportunity to convey information to groups of people. Such as school news, church events, or news media outlets (the good ones, at least). There is much potential for these networks to "bring" information to those that subscribe to them.

So...now it is your turn:
What are your views on social networking? What are your three favorites?

Labels: facebook, google reader, internet growth, linkedin, social networking, twitter, updates

So what? Someone / something has stumped you. What now?

When I was learning about digital photography, I understood the basics, but still had many questions. "What would this do?" So basically, I tried it. Sometimes it was an interesting result, other times...not so much. I am of the mindset that most learning is done hands on. Individually, you come up with a "real world" scenario...not something that has been planned to trick you. Then, you have to find a solution for that same scenario. You may screw up, but I will guarantee you will never knowingly create that mistake again. Often times with traditional education, there may be some issues applying what you learn in a lecture-based environment. That is why I have come to the conclusion that for me, a hands-on experience is the best way to obtain and apply knowledge.

-Ken

Labels: education, hands on, photography, question

About a week ago, I started experiencing problems with my iPhone Google Maps application. What would happen is it seemed as though the maps were not loading the surrounding area very well and would tile a certain block of the map. This gets mighty irritating when using the Google Maps app as a GPS while driving.

Well, I found a fix for it. A little complex, but here is what you do. Please note that you will need some type of SSH client to communicate to your iPhone through WiFi. If you need further assistance with this, search Google "connecting to iPhone through SSH." That will bring up some tutorials on how to connect to the phone.

• Locate the following directory on the phone: /private/var/mobile/Library/Caches/MapTiles
• Once there, delete or rename the following file: MapTiles.sqlitedb

That is it! What you are doing is clearing the cache that Google Maps uses. Something corrupted it, so as with any Apple products clearing the cache fixes those types of problems!

Hope this helps.

-Ken

Labels: cache, fix, google maps, iphone, ipod touch, ssh

I stumbled across this link from Scott Link's Blog. You absolutely have to take a look at this blog. This guy is GREAT!

-Ken

Labels: art, blog, Lego, photography, Scott Link

Everywhere you go, you can see and here in one form or another people getting all hyped up or joking about the "Swine Flu" or as I refer to it as the "Pork Scare."

This weekend was an interesting one. It seems as though a Catholic church in the Orlando area encouraged the attenders that they had in their mass to not shake hands with other people attending. My church, First Baptist Orlando did not go to that extreme, but were planning on practicing the regular safe guards, which is nothing out of the ordinary. If I was making an executive decision on the matter, I would have gone with the option that my church took. I believe that people are extremely over reacting to this swine flu scare. People do not get this hyped up over the regular flu each year.

The Media and Communications Pastor of First Baptist Orlando, Scott Link was interviewed by two news networks here in Orlando on Sunday morning. Scott answered their questions honestly of what our church in regards to the Swine Flu. The interview aired during the Sunday evening news. One network quoted him correctly the other network misquoted him completely. If you listened to the interview, you would blatently see that was not the point Scott was making. This is a prime example of how the networks misquote and mislead their audiences. Is that what you want from your news networks?

I remember a couple of years preceding the turn of the century when the media was sending everyone into a panic about every computer system, government and banking computers systems were going to crash at the turn of the century. This caused many people to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars in preparation for it...in buying food for week/months and taking precautions to prepare for a long outage of food and supplies. Corporations spend thousands if not more dollars to become Y2K compliant...reconfigured databases and software systems all for something the media was getting the audience all hyped up for. What happened when the clock turned from December 31st, 1999 at 23:59 to January 1st, 2000 at 00:00, absolutely nothing. Power was still on, money was in everyone's bank account and computer systems still functioned. So what was the scare for? Did we over react?

I think we did. The media continued to push a non-threat so much that the American people started being concerned. They recommended many things to do and in reality we did not have to do anything. It could have been another nice new year.

I think this swine flu is the same thing. The liberal end of the media is totally over reacting. Since they choose to not give a balanced report on what is really happening is Washington, they have to dig and dig for some sort of story to blow out of proportion. It was Bush, picking him apart piece by piece. They arrogantly selectively report specific things about Obama. Do not give the truth about what he is doing, destroying, or other leaders he is bowing to, this leads the media to dig into something that is not really a threat to get a reaction out of the people. So explain to me how this is supposed to be the most transparents administration ever if the American people are being lied to?

-Ken

Labels: church, First Baptist Church Orlando, Media, over reacting, scare, Scott Link, swine flu, virus, Y2K

In audio, we use "Phantom Power" to allow Condenser microphones to function which need an additional +48vdc of power. These microphones are more sensitive that traditional dynamic mics or ribbon mics. The fascination I have with this type of technology is the incorporation of the audio signal that is traveling through the cabling and also the added +48vdc of current.

Everyone has friends...or hopefully so. The degree of those friends (how much you speak...see each other...things you have in common, etc) is a variable factor from each friendship to friendship. Some, you can't go a day without speaking or being in communication with each other and the extreme being you can go months and months between conversations. The later is what I refer to as a "Phantom Friend." That term is not being used in a negative or condescending way.

In this "social networking age," we are able to instantly have communication with people from all around the globe in fractions of a second. This can keep is connected through whatever medium we choose to. In fact, many of my friends that I have are a great distance away! From Tampa, FL...Atlanta, GA...Nashville, TN...New Orleans, LA.

Yesterday, I received a message from a friend a few hours away. It has been at least six months since we had a real conversation. It was really great hearing from him, and what is even better is I am glad to see his success.

Even though we had not had a conversation in a number of months, that does not mean that the friendship was null and void. I am sure that there was at least one time in that number of months that we had thought about calling each other, but for some reason, that did not work out. That to me is the fascinating part of this topic...just as phantom power secretly powers microphones, "phantom friendships" secretly powers support and concern for those you call your friends.


-Ken

Labels: application, audio, friendships, phantom, social networking