blogbloghttp://oscarrivas.com/blog/2009-12-14T15:51:01ZSquarespaceChristmas Lights Herohttp://oscarrivas.com/blog/2009/12/14/christmas-lights-hero.htmlOscar2009-12-14T15:48:43Z2009-12-14T15:48:43Z

I found a new project for next years christmas, I don't think the wife will go for it, but how awesome would it be to play guitar hero with your house.

Pretty cool I think!

]]>Pumpkin Pickin'http://oscarrivas.com/blog/2009/11/20/pumpkin-pickin.htmlOscar2009-11-20T15:58:23Z2009-11-20T15:58:23Z

This is a fun little video I did with the family, testing the Panasonic HMC150, love the quality of the camera so far.

Enjoy ✌

]]>Target Practicehttp://oscarrivas.com/blog/2009/9/7/target-practice.htmlOscar2009-09-08T00:35:56Z2009-09-08T00:35:56ZAfter a conversation with the in-laws the day before, I was left determined to prove that just because I come from the city, doesn’t mean I can’t do manly things. The consensus seemed to be that I wouldn’t be able to even pull back the string on a compound bow.

Little did they know that I have a very colorful history, in which I have gone through many different experiences, one of them being archery.

Granted, it was a very brief experience when I was 12-13 years old, with very cheap equipment, but nonetheless I knew I could handle it.

Pure Concentration

When I got my hands on the compound bow, a rush of memories flew through my head, while at the same time I was a little overwhelmed and nervous. I was nervous simply because my fiancé had been driving the point home for 24 hours to NOT let go of the string half-way through the pull back.

I was overwhelmed because I had never held such an advanced bow before, not to mention the trigger mechanism, which was very sensitive and awkward to hold on to.

It was now time to put up or shut up, I line up the arrow right side up, set the trigger, stand tall, and pull back. I was so focused on holding the trigger properly, that I hardly even noticed the resistance on the string, it was only on the let off that I realized I had already gotten through it.

I lined up my shot through the sight, took a deep breath… (click)… (thud).

I was so happy to see that I had hit the right bull’s-eye (I was aiming for the middle), but I hit the target. “Nice Shot” said my father-in-law “Wow, I’m impressed” he said.

I took a couple more shots with the same result, so the sight was obviously off. I was quickly reminded however, why I didn’t keep up with the sport. On the last shot, the string gave me a nice long kiss on the arm, and I now sport a nice long hickey as a reminder.

Overall, it was a great experience and I look forward to having some friendly competitions with the family in the future.

 

*No deer were harmed.

]]>Watch out for Dee… Dragons?!?!http://oscarrivas.com/blog/2009/9/1/watch-out-for-dee-dragons.htmlOscar2009-09-01T20:30:46Z2009-09-01T20:30:46ZWhen I made the move from the big city to country life, I expected to make a few concessions. I also knew that I would be enjoying nature a bit more, trying to trap a woodchuck, dodge flying turkeys, and look out for deer at night time.

Little did I know that I would also have to look out for magical Dragons! Granted, coming from the city, the country seems like a magical place, full of colors, fresh air, but Dragons?

I was thinking about hitting up a gun range, but now I’m setting up an ad on craigslist looking for a sorcerer and a magical dragon-slaying sword.

Wish me luck!

]]>Marvel meet Mickey-Man!http://oscarrivas.com/blog/2009/8/31/marvel-meet-mickey-man.htmlOscar2009-08-31T20:09:53Z2009-08-31T20:09:53ZMarvel-DisneyThe geek in me cries foul! These two very different brands have somehow decided that it would benefit them to join. One has a history of princess, love and talking animals, the other has a history of mutants, aliens and violence.

While it might seem like a very lucrative and financially savvy decision to both parties involved, to me it seems like creativity, imagination and independence have taken a big step back.

Marvel had finally developed their own studio, free to bring their original characters to life as only they could. Now, they will be a new line of bureaucracy, ideas and procedures, which they’ll need to abide by in other to deliver a “successful product”.

Hopefully, Marvel will have free-will to continue creating comic books, movies, merchandize without too much interference or meddling from Disney, but one can’t help to cringe at the idea that one day soon we’ll see a Disney vs. Marvel game, or, X-men origins: Cyclops, the early years when he worked at Disneyland.

]]>Change… it’s good!http://oscarrivas.com/blog/2009/7/13/change-its-good.htmlOscar2009-07-13T15:38:27Z2009-07-13T15:38:27ZThe next scene featureshttp://oscarrivas.com/blog/2009/4/16/the-next-scene-features.htmlOscar2009-04-16T02:37:38Z2009-04-16T02:37:38Z

]]>Apple really Cares!http://oscarrivas.com/blog/2009/4/7/apple-really-cares.htmlOscar2009-04-07T17:22:57Z2009-04-07T17:22:57ZLike new

Early last week I was having a couple of issues with my iPhone, there was a line of dead pixels that started to appear across the middle of the screen, some thing that had happened in the past but eventually it went away on it's own.

This was not the case this time around. The line just got bigger and wider as the days passed by. Oh oh! What now? Dealing with a defective product can be quite a nightmare when it comes down to dealing with the company's "extended warranty" especially with electronics.

]]>I met the inventor of the Modern Wheel - The Wozhttp://oscarrivas.com/blog/2009/4/6/i-met-the-inventor-of-the-modern-wheel-the-woz.htmlOscar2009-04-06T19:50:20Z2009-04-06T19:50:20Z"The Woz"

It was a sunny Sunday afternoon in New York City, as my fiancé and I took a stroll through the streets, we stumbled upon quite a celebrity.

“Is that Steve Wozniak? She asked.

As I searched though the crowd, I gazed upon a man in a grey t-shirt and pants, and then I recognized that distinguished beard, it was “The Woz” indeed!

Some of you might be asking yourselves “who is “The Woz”? To state it simply, the inventor of the personal computer, the Apple I. Woz is the name that everyone in the geek community has bestowed upon Steve Wozniak.

“ ” I said.

All I could mustard was a smile from ear to ear. As he crossed the street, I decided that I had to shake his hand, so, we gave chase, not stalker like, but “New York City in a hurry kinda a walk.”

I catch up to him; my fiancé is 15 feet behind me being her usual shy self. I tap Steve on the shoulder.

]]>40 days w/o Chocolate - Day 5http://oscarrivas.com/blog/2009/3/16/40-days-wo-chocolate-day-5.htmlOscar2009-03-16T21:05:26Z2009-03-16T21:05:26Z

Going Strong, another video coming soon.

]]>