Major weight update, details from this past weekend and the Flickr 4 party…. Click here to read details…stay subscribed to my personal blog via RSS here.

At the beginning of the year, I made a vow (New Years Resolution if you will) to lose weight this year. How so cliche that is, I know. As it turns out, I joined a gym, and am going regularly. I also have been dieting and I think the above picture shows the results.

I was looking at myself in the mirror the other day thinking I hadn’t really lost a lot of weight in my face, guess I was wrong. I feel lighter all around, and I can see my tummy shrinking slowly but surely.

As I mentioned in my Life As Nick Starr blog, I would like to get down to 160ish by around June, when I plan on heading home to Florida to visit my family. I estimate I was around 200 at the beginning of the year (give or take) and now I am down to 175…only 15 more pounds to go…

I have started blogging my personal updates and other life events back over at my Life as Nick Starr site. Feel free to check out the latest post about going to the gym for the first time today, and other exciting updates in what it is like to be Nick Starr.

The RSS feed located here will provide updates to your favorite RSS reader as well so you can easily get new posts as they hit the site.

Wow 2007 was quite a crazy year for me. It started it out living in my car and working 2 jobs. I end 2007 living in a nice house but still 2 jobs. I had a lot of great times this past year. I went to Las Vegas for my first and second time, my brother got married, I got to spend quite a bit of time relaxing in Orlando while I was still in Florida, I up and moved across the country to San Francisco, and many many other adventures.

There were a lot of negatives this year as well, including my car being broken into twice and losing nearly everything I own. Moving into 2008 there are a lot of things I plan on changing and things I hope to be able to do.I’m going to start using a service like Wesabe or Mint to track my spending, and try to get it down where I won’t need a second job (but still am able to save for the future). I want to get a motorcycle or a moped to save on gas…it is 15 miles to work each way, and with the prices here in California topping $4 in some places, I’d like to save money on gas if I can. I also plan on trying to eat more cooked meals at home to save money, and ramen noodles top that list right now (bought a 36 pack for $3 the other day).

I also plan on joining a gym and going for something besides showering (I’ve got my own shower now at my house). I hate “New Year’s Resolutions” and I am not calling this post that. I just want to get in better shape, and know it is possible if I put forth an effort.

I also hope to see more of the Bay area (seems strange calling it that since Tampa (and surrounding cities) are often referred to as to as the Bay area as well. I haven’t ever been to Alacatraz, Sausalito, Napa (wine country), and many other places. I also hope to possibly move closer to SF so I won’t feel so inconvenienced when I want to on a whim drive out there to hang out, for a party, or any other reason.

All in all, I believe that 2008 will be a much better year then 2007 ever was. I look forward to the new experiences and anxiously await what the future has in store.

My NY Times article about Twitter and the entire suicide issue is finally published. It is online, and looks to be in print tomorrow, November 4th. Below is the article, but it can also be found on the NY Times site here. There are a few inaccuracies. The police didn’t find me in my car the next morning, and I’ve had no contact with any law enforcement about this incident (others did by calling them and reporting the incident though). On the site, it doesn’t look like they used any of the photos we took the day of my second break-in.

Currently, I am still without a computer as well, but I hope to have enough money by the middle of the month to get one. The donation link is still available as well.

Before I publish the article, I want to take this time to give an update on what has been going on. My job in the north bay found out about my recent break-ins. My boss donated towards my fund, and other various donations have been coming in.

I decided that the best way to start over, since I was down to 2 outfits and the clothes on my back, was to move outside of the city and find a place to live. I found a beautiful house that was renting out rooms. Check out my Flickr page for some pics.

The rent is VERY reasonable, but coming up with the first/last/deposit/etc was a HUGE drain on my finances. In the end I believe it is worth it, and putting off my goal of buying a new computer has suffered, but I am now safe and sleeping on a real bed (it’s a queen sized double high air mattress).

It feels good to be out of my car and sleeping in a real house. I’m using my only piece of technology left to watch lots of YouTube and other videos on my iPhone.

Other then that, I’ve been better. Things are looking up and moving forward. With all of that being said, here is the article after the jump: Read the rest of this entry »

As if life couldn’t get any worse, last night my car was broken into and ALL of my clothes were taken out of my vehicle. I don’t know what to say. I literally now have 2 pairs of jeans and the clothes on my back.

Let me try to re-cap the day if I can. I have been a bit down and depressed due to recently being broken into and robbed of my laptop and most of my gadgets. I was however meeting with a photographer from the NY Times about a story they are working on regarding Twitter. I left work (I work in Novato), and went into the city (SF). We meet up and walked around taking pictures “around town.” Some of the shots he had me posing in situations where I would never be “twittering,” like on a MUNI bench, and other different posing positions, like my leg up on a step looking off into the distance. Either way it was fun and the photographer said the shots and the scenery were great. The story should run soon, but I don’t have a set date yet.

After leaving there, I went and parked my car between 8th and 9th, one block south of Market in SF. I walked over to my PO Box, which I found is closed at 5:30pm on the weekdays, so I will have to wait to get my mail till weekends. I decide just to walk around a bit more, as I now have no laptop and nothing to do at night. I make my way over to a Subway, and grab a diet soda. I then head into the Apple Store for about 1 1/2 hours. I putz around online for a bit, and talk to an employee there to try to psych myself that it will be okay to downgrade from a MacBook Pro to a MacBook.

I left and headed back towards my car, and I see someone (seemingly homeless) looking at my car funny. I begin to prepare myself for what is to come. I see the trunk is left open in my car, and a suitcase is on the ground. I see a hoodie (not one of mine)over the back passenger window. The guy says, “Well at least they didn’t break the glass.” I pull back the hoodie to find the picture above. The glass was broken and my car was yet again robbed…4 days after it had just been. This person obviously was homeless, as they took BOTH of my laundry baskets of freshly cleaned and folded clothes. They took my only coat, my Bose QC3 ($350) headphones (of which the battery and charger were taken last time), they took the spices out of the side compartments of my car, they went thru my glove box, they tried to take my stereo and Harmon/Kardon Drive+Play. They took everything they could get their hands on. I had a bag of small technology items in my trunk, I had my nice Kenneth Cole watch in the trunk, I had a power inverter for my car in the trunk, they robbed me blind.

I honestly didn’t know what to do. I sat there in my car for what seemed like an eternity. I saw a homeless person down an alley, and went and offered him free beer if he saw anything. He hadn’t, and I couldn’t see any of my belongings in his LARGE stash.

I drove to the nearest police station and they gave a piece of paper to fill out a claim online. They said that cars get robbed all the time in the city, even right outside of the police station in broad daylight.

I now am left with virtually nothing. I had my iPhone and an old 2 gig nano on me, and only had the nano with me because I don’t have a computer to load it up with Opie and Anthony episodes.

I try to maintain an even demeanor most of the time, at least what you can see on the outside, but today I am a broken man. I have no faith in humanity, and there honestly doesn’t seem like there is anything that I can do to escape the evil surrounding me.

That being said, those that have donated do show me that there is a bit of humanity left in this world, I just don’t think any of it lives in San Francisco. Last night James from MadPod let me stay on his couch and gave me a few pieces of clothing up in Novato. I don’t plan on going back down towards SF anytime soon. I was going to an event tonight, but will not be attending. I don’t want anything to do with SF, and am staying as far away as I can for now.

Now, I try to pick up the few pieces of my life that are left and move on. I will be looking for a roommate situation or a cheap studio in the North Bay area (ie San Rafael, Novato, Petaluma, etc). Because of how the donations work, I don’t have access to them instantly, I need to wait for them to transfer to my bank account, but I need to verify my bank account, which takes a few days. So, I currently still am in the negative as far as finances go. My first paycheck won’t be arriving till November, so hopefully I can live up this way with a broken window until then.

Thank you everyone for your support in this VERY difficult time of my life.

Thanks to everyone who has donated so far…I’m now at almost 50% raised towards a new MacBook laptop, after my MacBook Pro and all of my gadgets in my laptop bag were stolen recently. You can help me raise money towards a new Macbook by donating here.

I’ve noticed some people asking questions people have been asking, and I want to see if I can field some of them here.

Q1) Dude, why can’t your insurance just pay for it all?

A1) I do (since I am financing my vehicle) have full car insurance on my car, including Comprehensive and Collision coverage. These two coverages DO NOT cover anything that is stolen from the vehicle, unless it is bolted down (ie. cd player, chairs, etc). My broken window WOULD be covered under my insurance, but since my deductible is $500, it doesn’t make sense to file a claim (thus raising my rates) for a repair that costs $160.

If I had renters insurance, which it is sort of difficult to do without a permanent address, they would of covered the theft. I still have my insurance in the state of Florida, where it is next to impossible to get renters let alone homeowners insurance.

Q2) Why did you leave it in your front seat and not in the trunk?

A2) I parked in a very nice section of the financial district in SF, and from everyone I have spoken to about the street I parked, said that it is a safe area and well lit. In Florida, you only have to watch for your stuff to not get stolen in “bad” neighborhoods, and even then I’ve never heard of ANYONE I know in FL putting stuff in their trunk, unless it was during holiday shopping. I did cover up the bag with a hoodie, and with all of the other clothes scattered in the vehicle it would not of been visible from the outside.

Q3) This wouldn’t of happened if you had a place to put your laptop besides your car. (more of a statement)

A3) Perhaps, but I had just come from the coffee shop where I was online. Unless I lived REALLY close, to the financial district ($$$), and didn’t want to worry about the 15 minutes trying to find a place to park near my “apartment”, and then the other 15 minutes trying to find a place to park back in the financial district, then you are right…It would of been safe in an apartment. However I didn’t want to be late to the show, and with gas prices are high are they are, I am trying to cut down on any access travel then what I have to do on a regular basis. I probably wouldn’t of gone all the way “home” to drop off my laptop if I was right by where I was going to begin with. I would of left it in my car like I did, and we are right back to square one.

Q4) You deserved this, and had it coming to you.

A4) Yes as hard as it is to believe, there are people out there who think this way. To these people I honestly have nothing to say. You obviously prey on the misery of others, and I your negative feedback only shows your lack of humanity and maturity.

Q5) Why didn’t you go for a plan with a lower glass replacement deductible?

A5) Car insurance agencies aren’t like Burger King, you can’t pick and choose your deductible on individual items. I went with the most insurance that I could afford that I needed to carry for a vehicle that is being financed.

With being said, I think I’ve tried to weed thru as much negativity as I can for one day. I will say that as much negativity there is towards me and my life, there is obviously more positivity being shown by many of the subscribers of this site, Twitter users, and people in my daily life. I want to thank everyone who has been helpful and supportive in this trying time.

On a positive spin, I am meeting with a photographer with the NY Times today about a story they are doing about Twitter, and tomorrow will be going to a free public preview of chirpscreen where RonKat will be performing. Feel free to join me tomorrow in SF.

Until later, thanks again for everyone who has donated. Almost half way there in only 4 days, and I have a lot of people who have said they are donating this Friday. Thanks again to everyone for your generosity in this trying time.