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Atomic Aquatics Cobalt Dive Computer Review

So I have decided to start doing product reviews on the Scuba Diving gear that I use personally. This is the first one in the series and I hope you like it. The product that I’m reviewing here is the Atomic Aquatics Cobalt Dive Computer. I purchased this right before my trip to the Grand Caymans in March of 2012.

As you can see from the picture above this is a beautiful device. Some have described it as the iPhone of the Dive world and to be honest I have to agree.

Functions

  • Brilliant full color OLED display provides the high contrast, sharpness and brightness that can be viewed at almost any angle
  • Built in Lithium ion battery provides 40-60 hours of dive time and several years of service before needing replacement. Battery can be quickly recharged with the AC charger or slow charged by plugging into the USB port of any PC.
  • High pressure quick disconnect comes standard
  • On-board 3D digital compass
  • Menu navigation
  • Powerful dive planner allows pre-dive planning of almost any dive, including repetitive and multiple days
  • The dive logbook will store up to 600 hours of detailed dive profiles in memory
  • Leakproof magnetic buttons
  • Air and Nitrox to 99% 02
  • Preprogram up to 3 gas mixes
  • Gas switch underwater
  • Customizeable user options
  • Automatic altitude adjustment
  • Maximum operating depth 330′ (100 meters)
  • Recreational RGBM (Reduced Gradient Bubble Model) created exclusively for Atomic Aquatics

These are just a list of some of the insane features that are present on the Atomic Aquatics Dive Computer.

(more…)

03
May 2012
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Product Reviews, Scuba Diving

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Dan Tribute Post Part 1

Sorry for these emotional posts but I have found that blogging about how I feel about my cousins death has been one of the biggest things to help me through this horrible tragedy.

These last couple days have been insanely tough on me. Lots of stuff has been thrown at me life wise and I honestly have no one to talk about it. It’s not because I don’t have friends or family to talk to about stuff it’s the fact that none of them think the same way that I do or understand me the same way you did Dan. I know you are probably up in heaven telling me to man up and grow a pair but this has been the hardest challenge that I have ever faced in my life. I will never understand why God took someone that was so amazing and loved by so many people from us. I’m doing my best to try and live life the way you would want me to Dan but lets face it that is really hard when you’re partner in crime and best friend is no longer around. Multiple times today I have picked up my phone to text you only to realize that you won’t respond and then every time it hits me that you are no longer here.

It’s amazing to read all of the stories and memories of everyone that knew you on your Facebook tribute page. You touched so many lives in the short amount of time you were here. I know for a fact that I owe so much of my success to your motivational talks and words of encouragement. You were always there for me when life put a speed bump in my path. When I found out the real side to the girl that I was in love with you and I texted you and told you everything I found out about her. I will never forget what you said. You told me “Josh not many girls are meant for us and I can tell you first hand that she wasn’t meant for you. Plus you can do way better then that midget.” You were always the first person that I texted or called when I met a new girl and the first thing you would ask is where is a picture of her. I can still remember some of the hilarious comments that you made about some of the girls I sent you pictures of. It just doesn’t make sense that I can’t text you right now and ask you about how stuff is going or for advice.

It’s impossible for anyone to ever fill the role that you played in my life. I know that my friends and family are amazing but they aren’t the same type of amazing that you are. I can remember one night when you jumped on my air mattress I was sleeping on sending me flying into the air. I have to say that is not a fun way to wake up but you loved doing that to me. I also remember sitting out on the dock at night just talking about life with you and all of our crazy plans for life. I wish I could go back to that night because it was one of the many amazing memories I have of our time together.

I hope you are having fun being God CEO and I know that you know have the ability to really pull some awesome pranks but please don’t pull any epic pranks with my dating life. You are always going to be one of the most important people in my life. Even without you here physically I know that you are still looking down on me. I wish I could hear your voice right now but sadly I can’t. Don’t have too much fun up in Heaven save some of it for me. I love you and miss you D.

I love you Dan
Daniel Eric Bauder
12-22-1989 to 04-01-2012
Gone But Not Forgotten

19
Apr 2012
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Gone But Not Forgotten

This year has been one of the craziest roller coasters of life ever. I mean I went from being dumped by a girl who I loved to losing a cousin that was honestly like an extension of me. I’m normally a very closed off and private person about how I’m feeling about stuff like this but I felt that I needed to say what I was going through and maybe somebody can relate to me on it.

These last couple months have been horrible for me. I mean yes breaking up with someone is part of life but it’s not a fun part of life. Thankfully I have lots of amazing friends and family that helped me get through that but just when I had found the light at the end of the tunnel I lost my cousin Daniel Bauder. I honestly don’t know of a word or phrase to describe just how much he means to me. He has helped me through so many rough times in my life. He was a role model to me even though he was younger than I. Everyday we would push each other to be the best. When life wasn’t going the best for me I always knew that I could count on him to be there for me. I mean yes I have lots of friends and family that I can count on as well but no one honestly can compare to how close I was too him.

He was one of my biggest supporters if not the biggest supporter for all of my crazy company ideas. Yes he would be like Josh that isn’t a very bright idea but he always supported me in the end. Him and I had plans to become business partners in the near future and work on building a business empire. He was one of the smartest people who I knew and he always was willing to share his knowledge with everyone. His compassion for his friends, family, classmates and teammates was always something that I admired about him.

On April 1st, 2012 I heard the worst news of my life I heard that Dan was found dead in his bedroom. I honestly went into shock because I didn’t think that it was possible for him to die especially not at this age. The week before that I had everything I wanted to do in life figured out. I knew what I wanted to do with my career, I knew what I wanted to find in a future wife and everything was finally making sense to me. Now nothing seems to make sense. I can barely focus on even basic things that I would normally breeze through without even thinking about. I have no clue now what I want to do with my career and I’m super confused about almost everything else in life.

When you have someone who is so close to you ripped out of your life it really does change who you are as a person. It makes you stop and think about all the small things in life. I use to go 100mph and not stop to smell the roses but after losing Dan I realized I needed to learn to slow down and start to enjoy the small things in life because honestly I have no clue when I will be leaving this earth and I don’t want to die knowing that I didn’t take the time enjoy life. I know that Dan enjoyed every bit of his life and so many people loved him.

I’m trying my very best to get my life back together and get back to achieving all of the goals that I had set for myself because now I have two people goals to achieve because Dan and I both promised each other that if one of us died before the other that we would make sure to each the others goals for them. I’m going to do my very best to honor that promise but Dan you left some really hard shoes to fill but I know that with you in Heaven watching down over me that you and God will both work together to help me make both of our life goals come true.

I don’t think that this hole in my heart will ever be healed but I do know that no matter what you will always be one of the most amazing and special people in my life. I will always cherish all of the fun and amazing moments we had together from building forts in the basement to late night chats on the beach talking about various life issues. I know that you are probably up in Heaven laughing at me now for being so emotional but you know what you were a huge part of my life and now you have gone to be with God. I know that you are probably loving being God CEO now and trying to figure out various ways to increase his ROI. Hopefully you got an awesome compensation package because you are an amazing guy and I know that God must have needed you for bigger things.

I love you Daniel Eric Bauder and you will always be in my heart.

Daniel Eric Bauder
12-22-1989 to 04-01-2012
Gone But Not Forgotten

16
Apr 2012
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Act of Valor Movie Review

Copyright 2011 Relativity Media, LLC. All rights reserved.


If you have been following my blog recently, you know how much I respect and honor the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. In the last blog post I wrote on this topic, “Has America Forgotten the Real Heroes”,I felt that everything that I said was spot-on in regards to how Americans have forgotten just how much the men and women of our armed forces give up everyday for us. Yes, I know that people will say we don’t need to be fighting these wars, but the soldiers in our military aren’t the ones making those choices. They do what they are told by the politicians who decide where they get sent (I will stay away from that topic), so whether you believe that we are fighting the right wars or not doesn’t matter. The thing that does matter is that these men and women put their lives on the line for the citizens of the United States of America everyday. I come from a military family and my dad gave 28 years of his life to our nation. So with that being said, I’m glad that there is finally a movie that emphasizes just how much of a sacrifice our soldiers make for us.
 

Lt. Rorke leaves for deployment in Relativity's Media's upcoming release, "Act of Valor". Credit: IATM LLC Copyright 2011 Relativity Media, LLC. All rights reserved.


Act of Valor is one of the first military movies that I felt was done the right way from the beginning. They didn’t use actors or stunt men to portray the Navy SEALs in the movie; rather, they used real life Navy SEALs. Who needs Brad Pitt, Mark Wahlberg, Tom Cruise, or Jason Statham when we have real life Navy SEALs? I mean, these guys are the elite special force for the United States Navy. The Navy SEALs are the individuals that are responsible for rescuing the captain of the Maersk Alabama after Somali pirates had stormed the ship. Three of the Navy SEAL snipers made impossible shots from the deck of a ship that was pitching up and down in the ocean. The results of these three shots were three dead Somali pirates. The Navy SEALs are also responsible for killing Osama bin Laden (the al-Qaeda terrorist leader) in a daring nighttime raid in Pakistan.
 

Navy SEALS are engaged in a personnel recovery mission in Relativity's Media's upcoming release, "Act of Valor". Credit: IATM LLC Copyright 2011 Relativity Media, LLC. All rights reserved.


Act of Valor is a lot more then just your average gung-ho military action movie. It’s an in-depth look into the lives and training of some of the United States Navy’s most elite members. The movie shows you not only how much the actual SEALs sacrifice everyday but how much their families sacrifice as well. Being a Navy SEAL isn’t your typical desk job and the movie shows that. These elite soldiers are going into some of the worst parts of the world to carry out missions that they more than likely will never be able to talk about. In the movie, nothing is faked. The bullets you see coming streaming out of the minigun mounted on the front of one of the SWCCs (Special Warfare Combatant-Craft) are real-life bullets. The one thing that I loved about Act of Valor is the fact that they actually showed the SWCC operators who have to go through extremely rigorous training, just like the SEALs do, and Act of Valor showed just how of a role they play in supporting the Navy SEALs.
 

SEALs climb ladder to their extract platform CH47 Helicopter in Relativity's Media's upcoming release, "Act of Valor". Credit: IATM LLC Copyright 2011 Relativity Media, LLC. All rights reserved.


It’s really hard just to say just how amazing this movie is without giving away lots of the movie. Act of Valor is a very action-packed, realistic and emotionally gripping movie. If you don’t come out of seeing Act of Valor with a new found respect and patriotism for the United States Armed Forces, then you should go see Act of Valor a second time. Act of Valor is a very intense movie where you get to see just how intense of training the Navy SEALs go through and lots of really cool technology and weapons. Plus, for all of those couch warriors; if you want to see how to really shoot a gun then watch the movie because real soldiers don’t fire from the hip.

Also thank you to Relativity Media for giving me access to all of the press resources.

06
Mar 2012
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America

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Social Media And How It Affects Your Life

Just a heads up you will probably see why English and Grammar were never my strongest subjects in high school. This is going to become a mandatory part of every post because I know people will sooner or later call me out for my grammar.

A lot of people don’t realize the massive affect that social media can have on your life. Yes Twitter, Pinterest and Google+ are tons of fun but what you put on their can alter your life in both positive and negative ways. I have seen several friends lose jobs over what they posted on Facebook or Twitter. I mean if you need to see examples just look at look at this Mashable article about 10 people who lost their jobs due to social media. I mean I’m not saying that Social Media is bad at all I mean I have sent almost 20,000 tweets since last February and I have a pretty high Klout score as well which shows that I’m way to active on social media.

I mean the thing about anything on the Internet that it’s archived so it’s always going to be able to be pulled up. So lets say you got extremely pissed off at your boss one day and felt like tweeting “I hate ‘Insert bosses name’ so much” and your boss finds out. How do you think they will feel about having their name on social media in that context? I’m going to think they won’t be too happy about it. I mean I understand completely about getting mad and wanting to vent but you need to stop and think before venting on social media. If you’re going to vent on social media you need to make sure to do it in a way that won’t hurt the way people perceive you. You have to make sure that what you say isn’t going to hurt your future. Sometimes the best thing to do is just not to say it period. I’m not going to lie and say I have never vented on social media because I have but I have also learned that it’s not always the best outlet to vent on. So a good rule of thumb is to think about what your parent would think if they saw what you said online.

Have you ever screwed up on social media? If so how did it change your life leave a comment below telling me about it.

29
Feb 2012
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Customer Service Optional?

Just a heads up you will probably see why English and Grammar were never my strongest subjects in high school. This is going to become a mandatory part of every post because I know people will sooner or later call me out for my grammar.

It seems like companies have forgotten what customer service is all about. I mean I have gone into countless retail locations only to have not a single employee ask me if I need any help or even bother trying to help me. I worked in the retail industry for 2 years and I learned first hand just how important customer service is. Customer are going to be a lot more wiling to buy something if you provide them with excellent customer service. If you want to see companies that are killing it in Customer Service just look at Apple Computers. You walk into one of the Apple Computer retail locations and someone will instantly contact you normally. Not only will they contact you but also they will check back in with you to see if you have any questions. This is one reason that I’m a huge apple fan and I will always recommend their products.

An example of a company that is failing in the Customer Service area is Best Buy. I will give full disclosure I used to be a Best Buy employee so I know first hand how they are supposed to act. The last couple Best Buy’s that I have been in have been horrible when it comes to customer service. I have watched employee after employee walk right past me and not even bother to ask me if I need anything or if they can answer any questions for me. I mean even when I went to ask an employee a question about a product just to see if they knew the answer he had no clue when it was right on the card in front of him. If Best Buy is sick of watching their stores fail then they need to start going back to the basics. It’s time for them to focus on the customer and to focus on providing the type of service that customers need and expect. If you want to be able to stand out from the crowd and not become another Circuit City then you need to step your game up and provide proper customer service.

That being said Best Buy isn’t the only company failing in customer service. Tons of companies across the board have moved away from putting the customer first. Rule number one the customer is always right and when you piss off the customer you can pretty much guarantee that you will lose not only their business but several of their friends as well. In this day and age someone talking about how bad of an experience they had on social media can destroy a company in seconds. So it’s time for companies to get back to putting the customer first. If you want to watch your revenues grow then you have to go back to making the customer the focus of your company.

Do you have a bad customer service experience if so leave a comment below and describe the experience that you experienced.

27
Feb 2012
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We Are Penn State

Just a heads up you will probably see why English and Grammar were never my strongest subjects in high school. This is going to become a mandatory part of every post because I know people will sooner or later call me out for my grammar.
 

 
To hundreds of thousands of fans around the United State the phrase “We Are Penn State” is more then just something we chant at games it is a symbol of pride, devotion and passion. Yes Penn State University has had it’s football program ripped apart by the devastating acts of one person and before I go on I want to state that I don’t condone one bit what he did to those individuals and I hope him he gets everything that he has deserved. I also want to say that the victims and their family of those horrible crimes are in my thoughts and prayers because no individual deserves to be taken advantage of. With that being said Penn State fans have had to endure a lot of pain and grief this last season. We watched our legendary head coach be dishonorably removed from his position, we watched our team fall apart in the last couple games of the season and we lost a legendary coach but that isn’t going to kill the spirit and passion of the Penn State Fans. I don’t really think people can honestly understand the passion that is present inside of Beaver Stadium until they experience it in person. Having the second largest college football stadium in the nation naturally means its going to be a loud one but nothing can compare to the sheer passion that is present at the games. Hearing “We Are Penn State” chanted by 100,000 plus fans is an insane feeling to experience and one that I look forward to every year.
 

 
I honestly don’t know how this coming season will be for Penn State Football but I’m hoping that Coach O’Brien is able to help turn our offense into the high scoring machine that he developed at the New England Patriots (I will never be a Patriots fan). I also hope that he will be able to continue the powerhouse defense that Penn State is known for having. There is a reason that Penn State is called Linebacker U. If you want to see a defensive unit that leaves everything on the field just watch a Penn State game. I’m not saying that other teams don’t have as passionate defenses as Penn State but I believe Penn State defense is a force to be reckoned with.
 

 
Penn State Football is going to have a very tough road ahead of it but I’m positive that just because Joe Paterno is no longer the head coach or with us that the players and coaches will not give up. I have a feeling that the new coaches and team will be able to continue on the tradition that Joe Paterno started. I have a feeling that they will do everything in their power to honor Joe Paterno legacy. In the words of former Penn State Football Wide Receiver Deon Butler “We are not normal. We are legends people will tell their kids about us. We are not normal. We are Penn State!” Even though I have never had the honor to be a Penn State student my blood still bleeds Blue & White. What do you think Penn State Football record will be for the 2012 season?
 

 

Photo Sources

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikepettigano/5849880406/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikepettigano/5849923882/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikepettigano/5849955228/

24
Feb 2012
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Why I Love Photography

Just a heads up you will probably see why English and Grammar were never my strongest subjects in high school. This is going to become a mandatory part of every post because I know people will sooner or later call me out for my grammar.

So as some of you may know I used to be really big into doing action sport photography especially paintball photography. I have always had a thing for photography and it’s one of the many things in life that I love to do when I have time. I first got started doing photography when I was probably 8 or 9 years old with my one of my grandfathers. He is a huge photography enthusiast and is one of the reasons that I fell in love with photography. A lot of people don’t really understand these days what being a real photographer is about. In this day and age where people have Photoshop or something similar they think that just because they have a camera with a detachable lens makes them a professional photographer. By the way that kind of camera is called an SLR, which stands for Single Lens Reflex. A DSLR is just a digital version of an ordinary SLR. I will continue my rant about what a real professional photographer in a future post.



I think one of the main reasons that I love photography is that it gives me the ability to save a moment or event forever. It also allows me to be able to share memories with future generations, my family and friends or people that are interested in the same things as I am. Being able to capture life one frame at a time is really fun honestly. While doing professional paintball photography I had the ability to travel all over the United States. I also was lucky enough to get to work for some really amazing companies and have my photography published in magazines, newspapers, product advertisements, posters, online and several other places. I think that the thing that made me really love doing that was the ability to make someone smile and the ability to capture that one amazing picture.



I have also had the umm I guess you could say privilege to do professional paintball photography in some crazy conditions. In the pictures that you have seen in this post you will see pictures that were taken in Huntington Beach, California where they setup a field right on the beach. You will also see pictures from Chicago, Illinois where some of the photos were taken during an insanely heavy rainstorm. I also had the fun time of being in Polk City, Florida when the heat index was 110+ doing photography that sucked if I’m going to be completely honest. I wouldn’t give up any of those memories though that I got to experience from doing it. I mean yea it sucks to get shot up 100+ times in one day or to be standing outside in 110+ degree heat for 12+ hours but I loved it and I always will.


23
Feb 2012
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Has America lost its work ethic

Just a heads up you will probably see why English and Grammar were never my strongest subjects in high school. This is going to become a mandatory part of every post because I know people will sooner or later call me out for my grammar.

So something that has been bugging me recently is how complacent America has gotten. I realize that not everyone in America is this way but it seems like a good portion of America is just happy to ride on the coattails of everyone else. Have people forgotten what it’s like to add value in everything that they do in life? What happened to the days when the value of a person was judge by their work ethic and integrity?

I guess maybe I was just raised differently but I was raised to let your work speak for itself and that at the end of the day a hard work ethic is more important then a strong resume. What happened to people understanding and wanting to give that extra effort to help propel their peers and their organization to the next level? Is that feeling of self-accomplishment and advancement dead? I mean don’t get me wrong their are a lot of very hard workers in America but it seems like those numbers are starting to decline. America use to be a powerhouse but in recent years we have lost that status to other countries with individuals willing to go the extra mile.

Yes I realize people out there will say that the US government makes it hard to be that powerhouse but guess what that is just an excuse. What is really holding America back is everyone not willing to take a risk or to go the extra mile because they are scared to lose money or scared to fail? Guess what you normally can’t succeed if you don’t first fail. It’s time for America to stop making excuses and to do something about it. I have started a total of 7 companies since I was 18 yes most of them lost me money but each one was a learning experience. Each one of them I took the risk to try and control my own future and not let my future be decided by others. So I have a challenge for America. I want everyone in America to finally grow a pair (sorry mom but it’s true) and take their own future in their hands and do something about it. I’m sick of seeing everyone just sit back and let others dictate their future. This isn’t preschool anymore stop complaining about the government not providing jobs and get out their and give 110% and more jobs will e created then the government ever could have dreamed of creating.

22
Feb 2012
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The Importance of Family

Just a heads up you will probably see why English and Grammar were never my strongest subjects in high school. This is going to become a mandatory part of every post because I know people will sooner or later call me out for my grammar.

In these last couple years I have really come to realize just how important a family can be to not only a young entrepreneur but to anyone. I have been blessed with an amazing family, which I don’t think you can honestly place a value on because they are priceless and nothing could ever replace them. I know that everyone isn’t as lucky as I’m to have a family like I am but the thing is a family doesn’t just have to be your mom, dad, siblings etc. It can be your friends, your team, your coworkers, etc. because honestly I consider everyone that I work with to be part of my family. I consider all of my friends to be part of my family.

The reason families are so important is because when everything seems to just fall apart in front of your eyes your family will always be there for you. One way to look at a family is as a foundation and being a Christian I believe that God is part of that foundation as well. I mean when everything in my life just didn’t seem to be working I always had that solid foundation to keep me up. I honestly don’t want to even think about where I would be without my family or friends. Life hasn’t been always easy for me and I always knew I had that support group to lean against when everything was trying to push me down.

The thing about a family is that even if they don’t agree with or feel like what you are doing is the right thing they will always be there for you. That in itself is worth it’s weight in gold. I mean believe me when I was down in Florida and had no hotel to stay in my family was there to help me. When I was beyond broke my family helped me out.

One of the best things about a family is being able celebrate all the amazing things that happen in life with them. Since they have helped you get there they feel like they have accomplished something as well when you succeed and being able to celebrate with them after such a long and bumpy road is an amazing feeling. I mean words honestly can’t describe that feeling and for that I will always love every single one of my family members both related and not related.

20
Feb 2012
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