Shaine Mata Blog

It's funny how two things that are great apart don't seem to have a connection until some spark of genius kicks in. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are a great example; peanut butter and chocolate, whoa!  Yesterday I had a flash of genius when it comes to keeping notes on computer jobs; but this works for any service type job. It would have worked in the past; but not so well as it would today given the improvement in Evernote's mobile apps. This is not so much a technology solution as it is a work flow idea.  First, I use Evernote to keep track of my notes and other day to day information. Second, I use Zoho Invoice to keep track of my receivables.  I used to work at a radio company where we kept track of hours worked and detailed what work we performed in a job ticketing system. So, before we got dispatched, we created a job ticket. We kept paper notes with that ticket number and entered the information into the system for invoicing. The rule was, you don't

Image via Wikipedia My friend Lebby Salinas introduced me to USANA about a year ago. She would tell me how the shakes helped her transition to a low-glycemic diet, whatever that was. I've ever only know her at her current weight, which is rather thin. It wasn't until I saw her "Before" pictures that I started to pay attention. I've been progressively gaining weight over the years. It has been slow; but, unrelenting. So, I decided to give it a try. I've been losing weight since Thanksgiving, slowly. While some of the credit is directly due to USANA's Nutrimeal, some is also due to eating better. I think what has helped tremendously was that Lebby taught me about the Glycemic Index and how different foods rate. So, I've been able to mix and match my daily nutrition with combinations of shakes and food. At this point, she and I don't have to order the Nutrimeal shakes; but, it's good to have them at hand for when we are pressed f

Image via CrunchBase Earlier this month, Evernote announced their updated Android app , which has some long-requested features that bring it more in sync with the iPhone and iPad versions. Among the main features are Advanced Search, To-dos, and other updates that make using the app a much better experience. Advanced Search The Advanced Search is great in that it allows you to better filter your search results. One problem that I've had with Evernote, lately, is that I get too many search results. That's a problem when you save as much information as I have been. This is something that was missing in previous versions of Evernote for Android. You were only able to perform a brute force search . Check Boxes What most excites me is the ability to click on check boxes in Evernote to mark items done. I have struggled with making Evernote my personal organizer given that it contains so much information necessary for my work. In the older Android apps, you could s

It's not Duff Beer; it's the thought that counts.

The other day I wrote a blog post in defense of Texas State Rep. Aaron Peña , who also just so happens to employ me part-time. I explained why I thought he would do such a thing. I've talked with him briefly; but haven't had a chance to really delve into his reasoning. After all, we have work that needs doing even with all the craziness going on. I've had time to think that he and I would be mirror images. I've been conservative for years. I identify with the Republican party because they are more conservative than the Democrats; but they have some kooky ideas that annoy me. I think Aaron has been the same way. He identified with Democrats more; but had reservations about a few their kooky ideas. I think he was happy to carry the Democrat banner and could have lived a long, fulfilling life if he had stayed a Democrat. I was a Republican working with Democrats because Ds pretty much run things here in the Rio Grande Valley. So, if I want to have any real effect, I have t