6 Tips for Maximum Adventure Between 20 and 28

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Advice on Your 20th Birthday from the Perspective of 28 Years

Dear Friend,

The decade which you now commence is fraught with adventure.

When I was 20, I had lived my entire life in a conservative Christian environment. I was homeschooled, and I earned my bachelor’s at Verity Institute. I was a well-learned kid.

Since then I have held 8 job titles at 5 departments of 3 companies in 3 states. I’ve been on three international business trips. I’ve taken 20 church youth group kids to Magic Mountain in L.A. I’ve been turned down by the girl I loved. I’ve taught Austrian tourists how to surf. I’ve been let go from my job. I’ve eaten from street vendor carts in Mexico. I’ve been in 6 weddings: thrice as groomsman, twice as best man, and once as groom. I’ve been lost in the desert for two days waiting for a helicopter to find us. I’ve moved 6 times. I’ve had a daughter (another one on is the way). I’ve laughed a lot.

Life goes crazy after you turn twenty: after you leave schooling behind and start doing. There are lots of things to do and lots of things to have happen. Embrace it. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Don’t Live Temporarily. We often say “I’m just doing this for now” we don’t think we’ll be doing it for “the rest of my life.” Mortal life by its very nature is not permanent, why dwell on the fact? Live whole-heartedly where ever you are (Psalm 1:3). Who cares if you only ‘plan’ to be somewhere for 1 year? Get state residency, join a local church, attend a weekly/monthly group of your interest and settle in. You may only be there for a year, but at least you enjoyed it and belonged. If you end up staying for 20 years, at least you didn’t wake up 14 years in and realize you have been living like a homeless nomad, minus the change of scenery. Bloom where you are planted, and if you move, start blooming there too. of course, this principle applies to more than just locations, but jobs, etc. too.

Avoid Debt. Debt is slavery: don’t go there. If you only spend less than what you have you will never be short of money (although you not have many things). A person in debt cannot live more cheaply because they have obligations they cannot refuse.

Don’t Avoid Responsibility. Responsibility is power. Responsibility is the voluntary acceptance of the important things in life inspiring you to govern your behavior for the good of others. Irresponsibility seems like more freedom, but in the end you’ll feel like a kid, and that is not fun when you are an adult. In the end, irresponsibility makes you feel worthless, but responsibility makes you feel needed, important, and satisfied with the good things you create.

Be Involved. A good marriage is the best thing in life, and children are a close second. The people around us are what make life fun. Don’t do it alone. Don’t be stingy with who you like, like as many people as possible. Try to help them, good deeds have a way of making their way around, helping everyone, and often helping you in return.

Become Really Good At Something. If you start now, you will be really good at it in 10 years. Pick something you like doing; something that almost makes you feel more energized when you’re done with it then when you started, but be sure it’s something that someone might pay you for.

Make People Happy. Jesus said, “Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.” (Matt. 6:24) Sometimes the word evil sounds like the simplest description. People live with hearts full of hurt, pain, disappointment (or in the words of Les Miserables “Life has killed the dream I dreamed”): Help ease other’s burdens being bring a wee bit o’ joy where ever possible. A merry heart is so powerful the FDA should regulate it (Prov. 17:22).

This decade is fraught with adventure. If you live according to my advice, and even more so if you follow the Bible’s wisdom, you can experience much adventure. A word of warning, adventure is sometimes difficult, but it’s always rewarding.

May God’s ample blessings comfort you and bring you joy and peace.

Ryan

Bending Linq-to-Entities to my will

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I am building an ASP.NET MVC 4 application using Entity Framework as my ORM on top of an existing SQL Server database. This is model-first, not code-first. I am fairly new to Linq-to-Entities. Recently I ran into something that gave me many problems and I had great trouble finding any help online. I’ve now solved it, twice. This is my story.

I have a view that need to display a list of Modules (as in, classroom teaching). Each Module belongs to a Unit, but each Unit can have many Modules. Each Module can have multiple Instructors, and each Instructor can teach many Modules. There is a ModuleInstructor table to join that relationship.

Unit -1:N- Module -N:1- ModuleInstructor -1:N- Instructor

EntityFramework has these for objects [unnecessary properties trimmed for brevity]:

Anyway, I wanted to display: UnitName, ModuleDate, Instructor(s) in a comma-separated list. My problem was that I had the hardest time getting Linq to get the Instructors, all I could retrieve was the ModuleInstructors which didn’t have any of the Instructor information loaded.

My first solution was to modify the Module class to add another collection:

In the ModuleController I got everything except the Instructors, then the Instructors separately and for looped through inserting them into the collection.

According to LinqPad this take two SQL statements. Not too bad. It’s not that much of strain on the server either because I don’t have many Instructors and there are only 20 Modules being shown at any one time.

However, I figured there must be a way to do it in one database call. Here’s my new solution. I still loop through inserting Instructors into the Modules object’s Instructor collection, but I get all the Instructors with everything else.

 

According to LinqPad it takes only SQL statement and it performs slightly faster that the first method.

To be perfectly honest, I have trouble picturing exactly how this works and why, but it does. I am very happy that I stuck with the problem, coming back to it several times more until I got it “just right.”

My one question: is this the best way to do this or is there a still better way? Maybe I’ll never know, but at least it’s better that it was before.

See Linq-to-Entities with a many to many relationship on StackOverflow for more discussion regarding this problem.

How to join T-Mobile’s Monthly4G prepaid service with a micro-SIM phone

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T-Mobile is offering customers an incredible catch-22… I mean, deal. I have wanted a Windows Phone for a year now but could not justify paying a smartphone-priced cell plan. So when I saw T-Mobile’s $30 per month online-only plan I pounced. My Windows Phone dreams would happen–and all while saving $20 over my current Verizon plan.

But it’s all a cruel trick and the system is broken. You see, the deal is only on the web, so I couldn’t buy the $20 in-store SIM card kit since they don’t let SIM kits walk out inactivated. No problem, that’s what e-commerce is for. So I got my card online and only paid $1.06 with shipping. Feel the savings!

T-Mobile SIM Card

But on arrival, it turned out to be the full half-acre: way too big to fit the cute little slot in my Nokia Lumia 710. I need micro-SIM, not full SIM. I went back online to get the other kit. Wait a minute, there is no other kit. Yes, I called and no, they do not sell micro-SIMs online at this time.

So here’s the T-Mobile Web/Store Deadlock™: the website won’t provide micro-SIM,the  store won’t provide the deal. I won’t retell the full three-day saga of phone calls and web searches, but I tried everything and even considered buying a SIM cutter (it’s always amazing how manythings there really are to buy). The system was completely broken and I couldn’t figure out why. The frustrating thing was the thought that there’s no way I’m the only one trying to do this.

In the end I didn’t buy the tool, as cool as it looks. Turns out you can simply go into any T-Mobile store and get an activated SIM card switched out for a micro-SIM. Activation involved entering long serial numbers from both SIM and phone into the website and doesn’t involve turning the phone on. So I activated the big card online without it ever touching my phone and got the deal. Then went into the store and asked for a switch-out to micro-SIM. Total price: free.

The system is not broken; instead it is simple and friendly. Too bad they never say how to do it! So I’m putting it here so that the world might know.

Steps to get a T-Mobile Monthly4G micro-SIM phone running:

  1. Buy SIM Activation kit on prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com
  2. Activate online at the same site, remember to record the SIM serial number (helpful for step 4)
  3. Go to a T-Mobile store and have them switch the full-size SIM for micro-SIM
  4. Call T-Mobile customer service and make sure the new micro-SIM serial number is on your account (ensures the store representative did it right)
  5. Wait for confirmation text
  6. Fill account with enough money to get the first month started

If this saves even one person 1) from emotional stress or 2) overspending for a smartphone plan then I will be happy. I’m happy anyway because I now have a Windows Phone 7.5 and it’s connected: what a great experience.

Every screen is a touch screen

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Babies believe in touch screens

There is much talk and controversy in the tech world surrounding Windows 8. One consistant charge is that it might be fine for a tablet, but nobody wants a a touch screen for a “serious” work computer like a laptop or desktop. I disagree.

Steven Sinofsky, President of Microsoft’s Windows Division, mentioned it a talk how strange it is that we have come to expect touch screens on every electronic device except the most expensive and powerful one we have. Why shouldn’t laptops and desktops have touch screens too? Even babies think laptops should have touch screens.

Power user types like to say that keyboard and mouse is better, but how can simply lacking touch be better? Keyboard, mouse AND touch seems like a clear improvement. More options. In fact, as a power user myself, I try to avoid the mouse all the time in favor of the keyboard but there are times when you need a pointing device. I would much rather just use my finger than having to fiddle with a mouse for those brief interactions.

One day I will have a multiple touch screen desktop, and every screen will be a touch screen.

On the other side of childhood

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On the other side of childhood
When youth’s young bud has grown
And some flowers it has bloomed produce
A sprout to call their own,
May the length of ages not induce
What often it has wrought
In accum’lative forgetfulness
And stiffening of thought:
Don’t ignore the lofty joy and stress
A juvenile knows,
But with lavish love fulfill the needs—
Like rain upon the flower seeds—
Required by each that grows.

On the other side of childhood
Recall where once you stood.