January 2011
1 post
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The Setup →
A good read on computer setups. Like a good nerd I am constantly thinking about revamping my setup and how better to optimize my setup to maximize productivity.
Though as he says, that could just be cause I’m trying to avoid work.
December 2010
1 post
2 tags
Stop Being Such a Darned Wuss →
So the real title of the post is not what I’ve written there and is NSFW. But it is awesome.
November 2010
6 posts
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The 'Israelification' of airports →
Article describing Israeli security tactics in regards to airports. Miles away from the current conflict over body scanners and the like.
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8 Exotic and Affordable Destinations →
Damn you, travel bug.
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Work-life balance: Why your boss should care →
The Globe has a good summary of trends in work-life balance, as well as some stats that show why employers should care about it.
I like the idea of being able to spend your benefits as you wish; i.e. medical benefits, extra time off, pension, etc. I’d probably take the extra time off myself.
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Procrastination, Victory and Babylon 5
This article was floating around the internet a couple days ago and it’s worth a read for anyone interested in why they’ve never achieved some of their goals. I’d wager that’s just about everyone reading this. Normally I’d just link to it and leave it be, but I feel that the author didn’t really go far enough, and I’d like to pull some conclusions out of...
October 2010
11 posts
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The Globe looks at American Apparel CEO Dov... →
Say what you will about the guy, but he’s built a huge business in 7 years. Even if it is close to failing. It’s a good read.
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“Welcome to Nordstrom
We’re glad to have you with our Company. Our number...”
– Nordstrom’s Employee Handbook, Years Ago
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How *do* you meet someone?
jaclynwrites:
I’m back from hiatus. No excuses. Okay, one. I started writing for Woman.ca and it took me a while to get settled in! Anyways. Let’s talk about meeting people. Okay, not just people, but someone.
I’m still trying to figure out the logistics of being single in the city. Where do you meet someone? When you’ve had your fill of being on your own? When you just...
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The Bygone Bureau: On Editing →
The Bygone Bureau talks to three eccentric online news papers about their editing process. The tech geek in me likes the citing of specific programs and tools, while the writing geek in me likes to hear about the process.
Is millennial career jumping a good thing? →
I’m not sure where I stand on this myself. I expect I’ll leave my current job after around 2.5-3 years, because it’s not exactly what I want to be doing, and my employer knows this, but it’s a good stepping stone.
The comments are almost as good a read as the article itself, by the way.
As for the why of this…someone brings up the point that many of us Gen Y people...
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Backpacking Matt on life in Bangkok →
I still want to go there. This makes me want to go more. But, preferably with a solid enough income I can afford a nice hotel to attend to my introverted and crowd-hating self.
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Leo Babauta's New Book →
The guy who does Zen Habits, which I link to constantly, has put out a new book on focusing on what’s important. I bought it already. Really excited for it. There’s a free version too. What have you got to lose?
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Guide to Buying a Round The World Ticket →
I almost want to do this just do it, and not actually stay very long in any of the countries, but just spend two weeks and fly around the world. Stay a day or two in maybe 5 places. My ideal itinerary would go:
Toronto - Vancouver
Vancouver - Tokyo
Tokyo - Sydney
Sydney - Cairo
Cairo - Lisbon
Lisbon - Reykjavik
Maybe throw Brazil in there to see one of my favourite people too. If I had a...
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Thawing Thor →
My favourite travel company (whose services I hope to one day be able to afford) is traveling to Iceland. Their blog is unique, in that it has fun little blurbs on various spots they go to. Their bit on Iceland is a little generic, but it starts to capture the majesty of that land.
September 2010
17 posts
2 tags
Geek Tattoos →
I find it funny that it seems like the only geek tattoos girls get are Apple ones.
Also, if I ever get a tattoo, it will probably be something geeky.
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Websurfing: Dear Iceland... →
djoules:
I miss you.
Last time we met was more than three years ago, and the time before that was three years before. Even if there was no previous time before those two times, i miss you today.
I live in a beautiful place where there are big mountains around and it’s nice. Though glaciers nearby are…
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A simplified morning routine →
I wish I could figure out how to have my morning be more like Leo’s and less like something out of a zombie movie.
See, as I first wake up, I am the zombie, roaring with frustration, shuffling out of bed, shielding my eyes from the bright light (though I guess that’s more vampire?).
Then, I’m the human in the zombie movie as I check the clock, rushing like mad, making sure I...
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The Inside Story of the Facebook Movie →
I get the feeling a lot will be written about this movie both before and after it comes out. The reviews have been great and it really speaks to tech nerds.
The article is worth a read regardless of your nerdy status. Quick story on how the movie developed.
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Some Stuff I’ve Learned About Stuff →
I’ve been reading more and more on minimalism lately, and more and more of it is speaking to me. And as a compulsive shopper, I like the idea of buying good things that last, as opposed to the many cheaper and crappy things I tend to buy.
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Do you really want to be a freelance writer? →
Katie, as always, makes some great points. I think probably everyone reading this has entertained the notion of being a freelance writer (or freelance something) but it’s not all sleeping late, working in PJs and looking hip at a coffee shop.
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5 Ways Your Shop is Losing Introvert Dollars →
As an introvert and a part-time retail worker I see this behaviour and these practices constantly. Sadly, they’re done either for loss prevention reasons, or because they work on a lot of people.
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The Paleo Diet on Gluten →
I’m not sure I buy this fully, but I think there is some argument to be made for a diet consisting of fewer processed foods. It’s something I’m trying to move to myself, but it’s distinctly not easy these days.
Link is from Tim Ferriss. He doesn’t post often, but when he does, it’s usually pretty solid. He’s writing a book now on how to be Super Human,...
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How French Laundry's chefs reach for the stars →
An inside look into one of the best restaurants in the US. Pretty fascinating.
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The New Yorker on Mark Zuckerberg →
Fascinating article on Mark Zuckerberg, the man who runs Facebook. There’s a movie coming out on him soon, and this makes me all the more interested in seeing it.
Bit of a longer read, but worth it.
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How Travel Can Help You
I’m a firm believer in the power of travel. I think we learn a lot about ourselves and about the world in general. One of my favourite poli sci Profs used to tell me that you’d learn more about a country on the drive from the airport then you would in any class, and I think that’s true.
Driving from the Dublin airport into town I saw more cranes than I ever had in my life,...
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"Honour" Killings →
This is insanity.
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“These are the folks whose policies helped devastate our middle class. They drove...”
– Pres. Obama on Republicans in yesterday’s Labor Day speech in Milwaukee, 9/7/10 (via sophiologist)
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Final Update on the Yoga Challenge
Well, my yoga challenge finished last week and I’m happy with the results.
I didn’t end up making it 3 times every week, but most weeks I did, and every week I made it at least twice. Considering I’m managing 2 jobs and a social life I’m pretty happy with that. It showed me that it is doable to put a good amount of yoga into my life without too much hardship or loss of...
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MSNBC's Photoblog Attempts Transparency, Wins →
Read through it all if you get a chance, really great, clear way of showing how they do business. Lots of other blogs would just post it without clearly saying what it was.
I really like what this blog has been doing, both in photos and in the stories behind them.
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WikiHow Guide to Simplifying Your Life →
I’m on a simplifying kick lately and WikiHow has a nice guide. They have a surprising number of awesome guides if you poke around.
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August 2010
20 posts
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The Myth of Behind →
The problem with thinking that you are behind is that it drags you down to a place where you’re disappointed and don’t want to do anything, pulling you lower and lower until you basically have no choice but to fall asleep or eat a giant cake to feel better.
I swear, Julien consistently makes me think my blog should just be an RSS feed of him, Tim Ferriss, Gruber and a few others. He knocks it...
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Gruber Takes On Google →
Wow. There are some creepy, creepy quotes in here.
Now, who’s working on the dystopian novel where Google is secretly controlling the world behind our backs?
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Am I in a new developmental stage? →
This article has been fairly widely linked to, but for those who may not run in the same circles as I do, it’s worth a read. Talks about the idea that there is a new emerging stage of development between adolescence and adulthood characterized by optimism, fear and an urge to travel and learn more about yourself.
Clearly, judging by this blog, it’s utter bunk.
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How To Fly
This blog is about how to be a hero. And as we all know, most heroes can fly. Or sort of fly. So in keeping with that theme, here is a tutorial on flying.
Step 1 - Ensure you’re ready
Do you really want to fly? What’s holding you back? Maybe you want to just stay where you are, comfortable and not really growing or doing anything new? Doesn’t that sound nice?
I thought not. But realize that...
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What Star Wars Could Have Been →
This bothers me. I can’t say I find the original ending of RotJ that satisfying, and the version Gary Kurtz describes sounds terrible and awesome at the same time. It makes me wonder what else may have been forgone for similar business decisions.
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I've made a huge mistake
I’ve made a huge mistake.
Well, thats not technically correct. It was actually pretty minor, but I just like to quote Arrested Development whenever possible.
But I spent most of last night agonizing over it. Worrying about it, feeling bad about it. I even lost a bit of sleep over it, which is rare for me. There isn’t a lot that will keep me from sleeping. Except for not being on a...
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Obama endorses building mosque near Ground Zero →
Good on you. I really don’t understand why this was ever an issue. It’s not like they wanted to build an al-Qaeda office nearby. Since Islam considers Jesus a Prophet, maybe there shouldn’t be a church to him there either?
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How To Dress Better →
I’m really a fan of trying to dress a notch above the average Joe. I think it shows you take yourself seriously and helps you to feel confident.
While this post is targeted towards men, most of it works for women, too.
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The Best Way to Get Fit Quickly and Easily!
What’s the best way to get fit? To lose weight? To build muscle?
The short answer: whatever you like best.
The long answer: follows. I was having a chat with a friend of mine about my yoga challenge, how it fits in to my overall weight loss goal. We talked about the idea of how best to lose weight and he launched into some stats and scientific ideas about fat burning, reserves, cardio...
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Historic, Chilled Scotch will not be tasted →
Now that’s just a damn shame.
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Why I Waited 8h for the iPhone 4
On Friday morning I got in line outside my local Apple Store at 5 in the morning. I don’t want to tell you how many hours I waited in line that day, but it was a lot. However, I walked out with an iPhone 4.
I’ve had a lot of people ask me why I did that. I don’t need it. My 3GS was functional, albeit a bit buggy lately. There are the famed antenna issues with the new iPhone...
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“She had so much.
A two-bedroom apartment. Two cars. Enough wedding china to...”
– You can find the full article here. Very nice story on paring down your possessions and how happy various purchases can make you. Spoiler alert; a $100 night in a nice hotel room will make you happier than a $100 pair of shoes.
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Update on the Yoga Challenge
It’s definitely been a unique couple weeks! The start of my Yoga Challenge, seeing some great friends, getting new glasses, getting some sad news and the iPhone 4. It’s turning out to be a very memorable summer so far, I’ll say that much.
This past week I started off great with my yoga. I went Sunday and Monday, getting the week off to a great start. After that, however, things...