Stuff About Brad

Wunderlist Story

So the results are in — my story (previous post) was named as a "runner-up" in the Wunderlist story competition. The winner will receive an iPad 2 and smart cover.

6Wunderkinder stated that they'll send me a t-shirt and some stickers, but they don't yet have my address.

Still love their app for organization and planning. It'll be phenomenal if: they add repeating tasks and detailed timestamps, and <em>lighten</em> the app a bit.

All around my recovery is still work in progress. My doctor says that I should lose some weight. Still, I feel like I'm presently doing better than Congress.

For more information on my new book idea, well... email me. Or follow my other blog.

Hurts

Keeping track of progress dealing with a disability is difficult due to the number of setbacks endured.

I was playing around with the idea of responding to Macworld magazine's thoughts on the iPad 2 — my migraine and myoclonus however, severely limits my ability to do everything.

Even simple things hurt; Looking at backlit screens.

About a new post at superfloo.us

I just finished writing a blog entry set to post today, 8:38am, at Superfloo.us — I hope you take the time to read it. It may appear long and technical — maybe it is — but it's important. If you take any form of art or entertainment seriously, I hope you give it some thought.

Not enough time

I was all set to relax and unwind; maybe get some sleep, read a few magazines and a book, play some video games... suddenly I was struck with the urge to write about type.

Typography has been on my mind recently; I've done more with it, I've been studying up, reading a few books about type and using fonts, but it's hardly been my only focus. I recently got my copy of Autodesk Sketchbook Pro 2010 R1 and I've been thinking about ordering the Kindle DX...

The software made me think of the art I will create with it, and the ebook reader made me think of words on a page: type. Maybe I'm slightly obsessive.

So I write the entry and post it; it takes about one hour, and I pause my episode of Star Trek: Voyager to "finalize" it. I thought that I'd have time to finish my episode, play some Mass Effect and complete Red Dead Redemption before morning really starts... oops, too late.

I'm beginning to miss those more-relaxing days, free from social pressures and the responsibilities of work. My days are never truly relaxing as my shoulder always hurts and my medications generally cause some sort of discomfort, but having more "free time" afforded me the privileges of reading more for longer, watching some tv drama and dreaming. Dreams are so important.

Creativity and imagination demand isolation.

The predictability and monotony of regular people makes me disengage from the idea of infinite. Although I might still "think outside of the box," the cube's dimensions become smaller and smaller, until finally, "outside of the box" is meaningless... unimpressive.

I'm reminded of Ender's Game by genius Orson Scott Card. I want to keep my edge; I want to sharpen it, constantly refine it, even if only in a more methodical, kaizen fashion. It takes time — energy — spent alone, away from distraction. Sometimes it helps to play a video game or experience someone else's art. Sometimes I close my eyes and think, dream, and eventually write, sketch and draw. Either way, I explore the unknown, one step at a time.

It's a bit like having my own starship!

In a small way, I'm exploring the limits of understanding and attempting to push the boundaries of reality by bringing new things into existence.

Yup, it's just like having warp drive, a deflector and photon torpedos. It's the future... at my fingertips. I better get to it.

Please check Superfloo.us after 8:38am today!

- Posted from my iPad using BlogPress.

Location:Oakland, CA

Brad Chin, Exposed!

Welcome. Don't be nervous, I'm not... I swear, seriously! This whole process is brand-new to me.

I've used TypePad before, but I'm not going to talk tech here (at least I'll try not to). For that, go to "Bradtastic Superfluous" — superfloo.us for short.

What I meant was, I've never been in the position to create and maintain a blog like this; I just know that, over the past year — on numerous occasions — I've had the desire to post informal, extremely personal stuff, but had no proper place for it. Bradtastic.com will be for business — Superfloo.us was perhaps too public.

It had occurred to me to ignore the "urge."

Strangely enough, however, people asked for more about me and less about tech. I suppose, living as I do — with pain everyday — outside perspectives have become harder for me to perceive and anticipate. In addition, I'd become accustomed to the idea that my life isn't all that interesting anymore.

I suppose I've always known that it was interesting — I could acknowledge that, even during the worst of my pain. I thought that I'd explained in enough detail and clearly-enough to most people the nature of my condition and my physical limitations... on this point, I was wrong. Call it pride or privacy — I didn't publicize certain things, and whenever I'd go out in public, I'd put on the brave face that I've cherished and relied-on through my late teen years.

But what about now?

Enough impotant people have told me, sans uncertainty, that they want to read more about me and my life — exciting (to me) or otherwise. Fortunately for them, I don't mind sharing; I write about my daily-doings and goings-on in "personal journals," (paper — made by Canteo Classeur), I could certainly share — and perhaps lightly embellish (kidding... maybe) — my secret self.

During the past two years, I've been very private... elusive — perhaps reclusive. However, I haven't been idle. I've been learning; reading a lot, watching documentaries, studying math and science. I just didn't go out much, and that's starting to change, as business is picking back up for everyone and there's more figurative light at the end of people's hypothetical tunnels. Society is starting to increase its spending and lower its inhibitions, meaning the world is ripe for the pickin' ready for me.

Closing thoughts.

This site also gives me a nice opportunity to play around with writing formats and styles I might've otherwise ignored or overlooked. If this site helps to build new connections, that'd be awesome. However, I just hope to give friends and fans some insight and a better understanding of some of my occasional aberrance. I'll try to keep it as entertaining as it is enlightening.

I have no doubt that some of it will be damned funny, too. Enjoy it. Someday soon, when you mention me to your friends and they wonder what the "big deal" is, you'll have ample evidence to provide. You can share with them the stories of how Brad became 'tastic.