HershalPatel.com

In the by and by…

Hersh — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:24:09 +0000

The weather is pretty crazy out today. I hear there are some instances of hail in the area and, looking outside from the office, there’s some heavy wind and a LOT of rain. This is the roughest I’ve seen it in a while. The weather doesn’t get this bad on the island very often, but “when it rains, it pours.” Literrally.

The last few days have been pretty interesting. Alex and I have been making some new music, sampling a bunch of my dad’s old vinyls, which he bought in the 70’s sometime, I think. It’s interesting to think that he probably never imagined how exciting it would be to a 20-something year old, about 40 years later. We’re getting some pretty good stuff together, and you should be seeing it soon on Youtube.

On a completely different note, I just bought a one-month membership at the Sunset Condominiums Health Club. I went to check it out yesterday and liked what I saw. It’s got a steam room, raquetball courts, and lots of room for activities, features that sold me immediately. This is an attempt to get back in shape. I hope it works. I’ve also been blessed enough to be able to go jet skiing every week. The weather’s been great, and Breakaway Cruises on South Padre Island has the best skiis in the business.

Rastaman Chant (Bob Marley Cover)

Hersh — Sun, 16 May 2010 22:12:25 +0000

Originally performed by Bob Marley & the Wailers. This ones the semi-finished version. Still working on it, though.

So, it’s been a while.

Hersh — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:11:46 +0000

Just check it out. http://www.southpadreislandphotos.com/

I haven’t been keeping up with this at all! What’s going on right now, you ask — or not? Not much of anything, really. I just graduated, and now I’m home. I kicked off a new website, where I will be posting pictures of South Padre Island whenever I swing by. They will mostly be pictures of the beach and some random stuff around the island, like events and such. It’s here: http://www.southpadreislandphotos.com. Pretty creative URL, huh?

Sleep time. I’m pooped.

Toshiba NB205-N310BN-G

Hersh — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:06:08 +0000

About six weeks ago, I purchased my Toshiba NB205 Netbook, and this thing is amazing. I immediately upgraded it to 2GB of RAM. A week later I installed Windows 7 Ultimate (I bought the version with Windows XP in order to save about $50), for which the Toshiba website provided all the updated Windows 7 drivers and utilities.

So far, there hasn’t been a single place that provides wifi connectivity that I haven’t been able to connect to, a problem that I had quite often with my Vaio notebook. This is something that’s pretty vital for a person with a mobile lifestyle. Also, I inserted my SIM card from my AT&T USB Connect into my netbook and it began working immediately, allowing me internet connectivity anywhere within AT&T’s data network (up to 3G speeds).

I don’t do anything too crazy on my netbook, and I haven’t tried anything very graphic- or memory-intesive, but its great for what I have done thus far. I use OpenOffice.org, a free, open-source office suit of programs that are fully compatible with those of Microsoft Office. I chose this route because I heard ravings about its quick load time, thus assuming that it would run pretty cleanly on my netbook (which it does, with flying colors). The best part is that it also includes the ability to export documents in PDF format. I use CCleaner to keep it mal-ware free, Firefox mobile for my browsing, Defraggler for effective defragmenting, and Foxit Reader for opening PDFs. The best part about all of these programs is that they are all FREE! After a little tweaking and fiddling, my netbook also smoothly runs my favorite game of all time, Age of Empires 2: Age of Kings with the Conquerors Expansion.

The best part is that it also includes the ability to export documents in PDF format.

My Gadgets

Hersh — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:23:44 +0000

I’m pretty well satisfied with how I have all my gadgets setup, so I thought it’d be a good idea to share. I currently run 3 PC’s and one Mac on a daily basis. Here’s how I have it all working:

My first PC is a pretty cheap Compaq desktop. The cool parts about this, however, are that it runs on a 64-bit processor and I have to connected to my 43-inch LCD high-def TV. I also have a wireless keyboard and mouse so that I can kick back on my couch and enjoy Hulu. I don’t have any fancy software or hardware installed. One very useful program, however, is VLC, which I use to watch movies, and it can play ANYTHING, which is why I have it installed on all my computers.

My next PC is a older Sony Vaio notebook. This is my main work machine. I keep it set on my desk and rarely move it. For this reason, I have it connected to 22″ LG LCD monitor which provides plenty of workspace. The laptop is about 3 years old now and has taken a beating. I’ve had to replace the screen once, which, by the way, I did myself by following some simple online tutorials.

"The Mighty Mouse": Toshiba NB205 Netbook

The next computer I have is this kick-ass, brand-new Toshiba NB205 Netbook. This thing is amazing, and for a netbook, provides great performance. I just started using it, but I’ve already installed my power-suite of highly-recommended software:

Bumptop
OpenOffice.org
CCleaner
Defraggler
Dropbox
Firefox (with the StumbleUpon add-on!)

So far, this thing is fresh to death.

Last but nowhere near least, I have my Mac. I’ve had this one for a little longer than my Vaio, but is a staple for my life. With Dropbox on all my computers I am able to sync files across all my computers and even cross-platform. I am a heavy Garageband user and I’ve got the whole shabang. My M-Audio FastTrack Pro USB preamp, my Shure and M-Audio condenser mics, the M-Audio KeyStudio keyboard, and even a desktop DJ mixing station. My Apple is the bomb-diggity.

Acoustic Medley (explicit…HA!)

Hersh — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:23:38 +0000

Excuse my foul language in the middle there. I got a little carried away.

March Madness 2009

Hersh — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:53:10 +0000

Here’s a flyer I made of Sigma Beta Rho’s March Madness Basketball Tournament. I improved on the previous year’s logo and made this one.

SigRho Formal T-Shirt

Hersh — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:48:56 +0000

Here’s a t-shirt I threw together for Sigma Beta Rho for their Fall formal in Houston. As you can tell, aside from the time a profound designing ability, this took a lot of thought.

So Sinful 2

Hersh — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:38:29 +0000

Here’s a flyer that I made for the Alpha Chapter of Delta Phi Omega and Sigma Beta Rho at the University of Houston for their “So Sinful 2″ party.

Maquerade Masti

Hersh — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:18:27 +0000

This one is for Masquerade Masti, hosted by the University of Houston Indian Students Association and the Alpha Chapter of Delta Phi Omega. This is a Diwali Celebration with a Masquerade theme.