Mehul Harry's Personal Blog

Chrome - Save all tabs without a plugin

2011-01-12T00:17:00.001-08:00

Here’s a quick and easy way to save/bookmark all Chrome tabs without using a plugin:

>> CTRL+SHIFT+D keyboard shortcut

How To Resize A VirtualBox VM In 3 Easy Steps

2010-05-11T16:48:00.001-07:00

VirtualBox does not make resizing a VM easy. Luckily, I’ve collected the 3 necessary steps that you’ll need to resize your VDI files:

Step 1 – Create a New and Bigger VDI file

Use the VirtualBox ‘Virtual Media Manager’ GUI to create a new VDI file that is larger in size.

Step 2 – Use the ‘VBoxManage CloneHD’ Command

This command will copy the original to the New and larger VDI. Open a command window and call this command from the VirtualBox directory. Be sure you properly reference the correct files, for example, here the command I used:

C:\Program Files\Sun\VirtualBox>vboxmanage clonehd --existing e:\virtualbox\ORIGINAL.vdi C:\Users\Mehul\.VirtualBox\HardDisks\NEW_BIGGER.vdi

Sun VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 3.1.8

(C) 2005-2010 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.

0%...10%...20%...30%...40%...50%...60%...70%...80%...90%...100%

Clone hard disk created in format 'VDI'. UUID: 7099c645-15c2-4656-bf90-27a444444444444

Step 2 (optional) – Call ‘setvdiuuid’ in case of an issue

Try to start your VM now that points to the NEW_BIGGER.vdi file. If you get an unusual error like this one:

Cannot register the hard disk ‘PATH’ with UUID {id goes here} because a hard disk ‘PATH2’ with UUID {same id goes here} already exists in the media registry (‘PATH to XML file’).

Then use the following command on your NEW_BIGGER.vdi:

C:\Users\Mehul\.VirtualBox\HardDisks>"c:\Program Files\Sun\VirtualBox\VBoxManage.exe"
internalcommands setvdiuuid MHDXDT1_Laptop.vdi

Sun VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 3.1.8
(C) 2005-2010 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.

UUID changed to: d4c86bf9-3739-4894-9fee-0ec8342432a

Take note that I ran that command from the directory location of the NEW_BIGGER.vdi file. For a good explanation of this command, check out this post.

Step 3 – Resize the local drive in the VM

Your NEW_BIGGER.vdi is larger than before. However, as a final step, you need to increase the local drive in the VM. Windows 7 makes it easy with the disk management.

From control panel, bring up ‘Disk Management’.
Right click on your local C: drive (Disk 0 usually)
Select ‘Extend Volume’

The process is pretty easy to figure out. If you need more info and images then check out this post for a more detail.

And that’s it! You’re done. You now have a bigger drive.

Easy, wasn’t it?

Thanks to this post for majority of the initial guidance.

AutoHotKey – Easily Create An HTML Link

2010-03-25T15:34:00.001-07:00

I’m huge fan of AutoHotKey which saves me a ton of time in not having to type repetitive keystrokes. Basically, it helps me be a better keyboard ninja.

Often for blog posts, I need to encapsulate a link with a HTML <a> anchor tag. So that http://Mehul.net becomes <a href=”http://Mehul.net” target=”blank”>http://Mehul.net</a>

So I’ve hacked up the following AutoHotKey script which allows you to highlight a link and press Control+Shift+L and it automagically converts into an HTML <a> anchor tag.

Copy this script into a autohotkey script. Load the script. Select an HTML link and press Control+Shift+L.

;-------------------------------------------------------------
; Create A Link -- Ctrl+Shift+L
;-------------------------------------------------------------

^+l::
{
Send, ^c
Sleep 50
var=% "<a href=""" . clipboard . """ target=""_blank"">" . clipboard . "</a>"
clipboard=% var
Send, ^v
Return
}

To learn more about AutoHotKey, check out these LifeHacker posts:

Turn Any Action into a Keyboard Shortcut

Hack Attack: Knock down repetitive email with AutoHotKey

Improve iPhone Safari Readability

2010-03-22T15:43:00.001-07:00

I like to catch up on my blog reading using my iPhone. However, many sites don’t have a mobile version that formats the page for a smaller device.

Instatpaper to the resuce!

Instapaper.com is known for allowing you to bookmark a web page and ‘Read It Later’ using either their website or iPhone app. What’s also great is they format the bookmarked web page so that it is readable on mobile devices. They also offer their ‘mobilizer engine’ to use as a separate service:

If you go to this site on your mobile browser: http://instapaper.com/m

Then Enter a url of blog you like to read: For example: http://community.devexpress.com/blogs/aspnet/default.aspx

Hit Go and watch as all the formatting is removed and you see big text that only scrolls vertically. Beautiful and perfect for mobile browsers.

I’ve taken it a step further by creating a bookmarklet that will automatically call the ‘Instapaper mobilizer’ site for you when you’re reading a blog on your mobile browser. Here’s the steps to add it to an iPhone:

From Safari, add a new bookmark and call it something like ‘Instapaper Mobilizer’.
Edit the Bookmark you just added.
javascript:var d=document,w=window,f='http://www.instapaper.com/m',l=d.location,e=encodeURIComponent,p='?u='+e(l.href),u=f+p;if(!w.open(u,'t','toolbar=0,resizable=0,status=1,width=250,height=150'))l.href=u; Replace the url with the JavaScript code in this box.
Now, while reading a blog, open the bookmark you just added.

And that’s it. Enjoy.

I’m a Creator and Social Manager

2010-03-02T14:19:00.001-08:00

Taking up Travis’ suggestion, I took the color career test and got the following results. Surprisingly, it is not too different than my day job:

----------------------------------------------------

Best Occupational Category

You're a CREATOR

Keywords

Nonconforming, Impulsive, Expressive, Romantic, Intuitive, Sensitive, and Emotional

These original types place a high value on aesthetic qualities and have a great need for self-expression. They enjoy working independently, being creative, using their imagination, and constantly learning something new. Fields of interest are art, drama, music, and writing or places where they can express, assemble, or implement creative ideas.

CREATOR OCCUPATIONS
Suggested careers are Advertising Executive, Architect, Web Designer, Creative Director, Public Relations, Fine or Commercial Artist, Interior Decorator, Lawyer, Librarian, Musician, Reporter, Art Teacher, Broadcaster, Technical Writer, English Teacher, Architect, Photographer, Medical Illustrator, Corporate Trainer, Author, Editor, Landscape Architect, Exhibit Builder, and Package Designer.

CREATOR WORKPLACES
Consider workplaces where you can create and improve beauty and aesthetic qualities. Unstructured, flexible organizations that allow self-expression work best with your free-spirited nature.

Suggested Creator workplaces are advertising, public relations, and interior decorating firms; artistic studios, theaters and concert halls; institutions that teach crafts, universities, music, and dance schools. Other workplaces to consider are art institutes, museums, libraries, and galleries.

2nd Best Occupational Category

You're a SOCIAL MANAGER

Keywords:

Tactful, Cooperative, Generous, Understanding, Insightful, Friendly, and Cheerful

This very social type enjoys working in groups, sharing responsibilities, and being the center of attention. Fields of interest are instructing, helping, nurturing, care giving and instructing-especially young people. They discuss and consider feelings in order to solve problems, lead, direct, persuade, guide, organize and enlighten others.

Handbook: Life Advice From My Big Sister

2010-01-06T12:21:00.000-08:00

Check out this fantastic list that I got from my big sister. Some inspirational, useful, and good advice for everyone:

HANDBOOK 2010

Health

:
1. Drink plenty of water.

2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..

4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy

5. Make time to pray.

6. Play more games

7. Read more books than you did in 2009 .

8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day

9. Sleep for 7 hours.

10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality

:
11. Don't compare your life to others.. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control.. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.

14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

16. Dream more while you are awake

17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..

18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present..

21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

23. Smile and laugh more.

24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree....

Society

:
25. Call your family often.

26. Each day give something good to others.

27. Forgive everyone for everything.

28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.

29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

30. What other people think of you is none of your business.

31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life

:
32. Do the right thing!

33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

34. GOD heals everything.

35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..

36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

37. The best is yet to come..

38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.

39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not the least

:
40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about, I just did

Happiness as a choice

2009-11-01T21:31:00.001-08:00

A good friend recently told me:

"If you're not enjoying yourself, it's because you've chosen not to."

The year 2008 in photographs – boston.com

2008-12-30T12:59:00.001-08:00

Check out this set of pictures from Boston.com. It shows greats photos of events both happy, momentous and extremely tragic.

And this is only the first part. I'll have to keep an eye out for parts 2 and 3:

The year 2008 in photographs (part 1 of 3)

2008 has been an eventful year to say the least - it is difficult to sum up the thousands of stories in just a handful of photographs. That said, I will try to do what I've done with other photo narratives here, and tell a story of 2008 in photographs. It's not the story of 2008, it's certainly not all stories, but as a collection it does show a good portion of what life has been like over the past 12 months. This is a multi-entry story, 120 photographs over three days. Watch for part 2 and part 3 tomorrow and the next day. (40 photos total)

Wine Recommendation: Peter Lehmann Shiraz '05

2008-11-16T14:34:00.001-08:00

Picked up this great 2005 Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz from Costco yesterday for $12 bucks. Dark color, fruit flavors but mellow.

You can also pick it p from Bevmo.

How to Be Outstanding | ThinkSimpleNow.com

2008-09-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

How to Be Outstanding | ThinkSimpleNow.com: "People who consistently achieve outstanding results all have this in common: they are passionate about what they do. It’s no longer work, but an active participation of joy and creativity."

Good post.

Where is Matt 2008? - CollegeHumor video

2008-06-27T01:24:00.001-07:00

Cool and inspirational video from Matt again. Dancing all over the world. Ahh, if only.

42 countries in 14 months. This explains why Matt couldn't make the Pork & Beans shoot.

Where is Matt 2008? - CollegeHumor video

Will Ferrell: Class Day speech

2008-06-10T01:54:00.001-07:00

This speech from Will Ferrell to Harvard Grads in 2003 is hilarious:

This is not the Worcester, Mass Boat Show, is it? I am sorry. I have made a terrible mistake. Ever since I left "Saturday Night Live," I mostly do public speaking now. And I must have made an error in the little Palm Pilot. Boy. Don't worry. I got it on me. I got the speech on me. Let's see. Ah, yes. Here we go.

You know, when Bill Gates first called me to speak to you today, I was honored. But when he wanted me to be one of the Roxbury guys, I -- Sorry, that's Microsoft. I'm sorry about that. Star Trek Convention. No. NRA. NAACP. Dow Chemical. No. But that is a good one. That is a good speech. The University of Michigan Law. Johns Hopkins Medical School. I'm sorry. Are you sure this is not the boat show? No, I have it. I do have it on me. I do. It's here. Thank you.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Faculty, Administrators, Friends and Family and, of course, the graduating Class of 2003, I wish to say hello and thank you for bestowing this honor upon me as your Class Day speaker. After months of secret negotiations, several hundred secret ballots, and a weekend retreat with Vice President Dick Cheney in his secret mountain bunker, a Class Day speaker was chosen, and it was me. You obviously have made a grave error. But it's too late now. So let's just go with it.

Will Ferrell: Class Day speech

Wallpaper fascination

2008-05-21T15:34:00.001-07:00

While looking for a good GTD Wallpaper, I stumbled on a link for those who like wallpapers:

7 Windows Wallpaper Tricks That Don’t Disappoint

Site has good links including a link for social site for wallpaper geeks.

RoboForm is very good

2008-05-06T14:07:00.001-07:00

I remember the first time I heard of this tool was many years ago when I was still skeptical of browser plugins. Especially ones that kept my passwords. So I've used password safe for many years now. But there is no browser integration which makes things a headache to open pwsafe and manually enter those details. This is where RoboForm shines. It does a great job to manage my passwords and also to show me only those that pertain to the website. For example, I have several gmail accounts and RoboForm shows me only these when I'm on the gmail login page. Brilliant. Then I select the account I want to login with and presto, I'm logged in.

So, I recommend you give RoboForm a try. I don't have any qualms about its integration or password storing as its been around a while and gotten many other good reviews as well.

The only issue I have is that in IE8 Beta, the popup doesn't work. However, it works great in Firefox and this is probably an IE8 beta issue.

Kenny Smith (doesn't) jump over an Aston Martin!

2008-04-25T01:15:00.001-07:00

This is one thing I love about the guys on the TNT Post show. They're very funny. Check out this clip which spoofs Kobe's latest Nike commercial. Very funny.

How We're Wrecking Our Feet With Every Step We Take -- New York Magazine

2008-04-22T01:37:00.001-07:00

I try to walk for 30 minutes everyday. It feels good to have this walk. Turns out though that the highly padded shoes I've been wearing could be hurting me more than helping. Check out this article in the NY Magazine. Here are some alternative shoes to going barefoot:

MASAI BAREFOOT TECHNOLOGY
The thick sole mimics the soft, unstable ground on which our ancestors walked. But your foot won’t roll through each step—the sole does the rolling for you.

NIKE FREE
After decades of gimmicky shoes, Nike released the Free: light and flexible, and available in various stages, with Free 5.0 pitched as halfway to barefoot.

VIVO BAREFOOT
Basically a leather slipper with a 3-mm.-thick puncture-resistant sole. It’s thin enough to feel pebbles underfoot and flexible enough to fold in half like a wallet.

VIBRAM FIVE FINGERS
This fabric-and-rubber sock with individuated toes is primarily for outdoor sports like kayaking—though at least one entrant wore them to run in the Boston Marathon.

How We're Wrecking Our Feet With Every Step We Take -- New York Magazine

FoodFeed.us and Twitter

2008-04-20T23:06:00.001-07:00

When twitter first came out, I thought I wouldn't want to know what my friends were up to all the time. Well, that was one misconception I had about twitter. Twitter is pretty cool, when I have time to pay attention to it.

This new service foodfeed.us looks interesting. It allows you to post from twitter, updates on what you're eating. I'll use it as a food tracker for now but part of me wonders if this is like TMI (too much info). [Btw, if you're mind immediately wonders if there will be feeds for other necessary body functions, then please drop me a line so I know I'm not alone ;-) .]

FoodFeed.us

Sync your Facebook contacts with Outlook & Windows Mobile

2008-04-18T00:03:00.001-07:00

Just tried this and the outlook integration is pretty cool. I don't have a windows mobile phone but I'll try to see if it works with the Treo. In my case the app did crash but it does work in importing the pics to outlook. Check out the demo from the developer here:

Sync your Facebook contacts with Outlook (and Windows Mobile)

Educators Corner: Stanford Videos/Podcasts

2008-04-15T00:46:00.001-07:00

My iPod has been playing these great Stanford talks from industry professionals. These podcasts talk about entrepreneurship, leadership, etc. Well worth listening to:

Educators Corner: Top 20 Videos

Tennis Lookalikes: Rafa, Novak, Roger, Marat, etc

2008-04-13T12:15:00.001-07:00

Plan vs Planning

2008-04-10T00:10:00.001-07:00

I saw an article on goal achieving (yet again) and one of the items it mentioned was planning for the next day, week, etc. I casually asked my friend if he planned his days. He sent me this interesting quote from Eisenhower:

In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.

I asked him what he thought the difference between plan and planning meant and I like his explanation:

ME: "Does he mean it's more important to go through the act of planning and then dump the plan which comes out of it?"

Friend: "not dump the plan, but not to treat the plan as a set of instructions. Circumstances often invalidate the plan, especially longer term plans, but the act of planning prepares the planner for the future even when they have to stray from or abandon the original plan."

Anyway's, as a little reminder to myself to go through the act of planning, I've posted this entry. Thanks goes to my friend Drew.

Lessons from the zoo – applied in the bedroom

2008-04-02T02:23:00.001-07:00

I once visited UC Berkeley in the 90s with my friend Sumit. We met up with Sumit's friend, Bunty, who lived just off campus in a shared house with 3 other guys. Now Bunty was a nice and down-to-earth kind of guy. Even while finishing up his Phd and working on some cool eye technology at the time. What was surprising was the other three guys in the house. They were completely reclusive. Not very friendly, communicative, etc. When I asked Bunty how he could live with these guys who were so closed off/anti-social, he said that it was even worse when he first met them. Bunty said that he had to train them to change. So I was like WTF. In my younger days this was crazy thinking. That you can change somebody. But what he meant was that you can encourage people to change. Of course the change still comes from within but positive reinforcement towards the desired behavior is the key. This article below describes an animal trainer's approach to this type of encouragement to change behaviors:

The rules are simple. Reward the behaviour you want. Ignore the behaviour you don't want

globeandmail.com: Lessons from the zoo – applied in the bedroom

Unclutterer » The Real Cost of Financial Clutter on the Road to a Remarkable Life

2008-03-30T18:34:00.001-07:00

Some tips that sound like good advice. Now I'll have to follow up on these sometime:

Every time you spend a dollar, you sacrifice a bit of your future.
Calculate the true value of your time.
Physically unclutter your living space.
Set some big goals - and remind yourself of them all the time.
Use the true value of your time - and those visual reminders of your big dreams - every time you consider making a purchase.
Go through every. single. monthly. bill.
De-clutter your debt.

Unclutterer » Archive » The Real Cost of Financial Clutter on the Road to a Remarkable Life

Jott's Web 2.0 Sites Integration

2008-03-30T02:52:00.001-07:00

I started using Jott.com this week and it's useful. I tried it November 07 but the transcription service wasn't that great and I didn't get my email very quickly. Seems they've worked the bugs and it's worth checking out again. As I setup more contacts, I noticed that I could even twitter from my cell phone now. That's cool. They also have a ton of other sites integrated like blogger, Xpenser, and bunch more which I've never heard of. Here's the full list:

Dainese airbag suit for 2010

2008-03-26T23:11:00.001-07:00

Looks weird but if it works then I'd wear one.

PsyBlog: The Attitude-Behaviour Gap: Why We Say One Thing But Do The Opposite

2008-03-25T02:00:00.001-07:00

I try to remember this little tidbit below when speaking with most people. They will take their perceived stand but when faced with the situation they will probably bend. I include myself in this category.

that people don't do what they say they will in many situations - has been backed up by countless later studies, although in more sophisticated fashion. The question is: why?

PsyBlog: The Attitude-Behaviour Gap: Why We Say One Thing But Do The Opposite

Hand-Eye Coordination: Can You Improve It?

2008-03-24T00:26:00.001-07:00

I started researching this topic to see if there is something, late in life, that you can do to improve this type of coordination. While I doubt I'll get much better at Tennis, I'll certainly give the eye focusing exercise a try.

Can you improve your "sports vision?" Are there exercises that can help your eyes? Because I treat so many professional and high-level athletes, I am often asked if vision can be improved as it relates to sports performance.
While I don't think there are exercises that can improve your vision per se, you can improve the way your body tracks moving objects by doing some simple drills. This will help on the field and on the court.
Try playing catch with a friend. Use a large Wiffle Ball (or any larger ball). Write large letters and numbers on the ball with a Sharpie. Try to call out the last number or letter you see before catching the ball. Also practice quickly focusing on a near, then far object. Keep going back and forth - faster and faster, focusing on your ability to focus properly.

Hand-Eye Coordination: Can You Improve It? on Yahoo! Health

"Power Shift" - How to Boost Your Memory

2008-03-24T00:21:00.001-07:00

If you see someone doing a Felix the Cat impression then they might be trying to remember something. According to this article below, moving your eyes left to right can help you remember. I'd be interested to know if anyone actually does this or has used to this trick to help them remember.

A recent study suggests that merely glancing from left to right (the traditional “shifty look” of spies and sneaks) can boost memory power and help people differentiate between real and imagined memories. Moving the eyes up and down had no such effect. The trick may work because the specific left/right eye movement engages both the left and right hemispheres of the brain at the same time. As little as 30 seconds of the activity could be enough to help you remember where you left your wallet, or the number sequence needed to deactivate that bomb.

"Power Shift" -How to Boost Your Memory | The Daily Galaxy: News from Planet Earth & Beyond

Tortoise-Pigeon-Dog - Advice from 256 year old man

2008-03-18T14:50:00.001-07:00

It's not certain whether Li Ching-Yun actually lived to be that old but his advice is useful: "Keep a quiet heart, sit like a tortoise, walk sprightly like a pigeon and sleep like a dog."

Here is the excerpt from the Time magazine article from 1933:

In the province of Szechwan in China lived until last week Li Ching-yun. In China where Age means something he was a great man. By his own story he was born in 1736, had lived 197 years. By the time he was ten years old he had traveled in Kansu, Shansi, Tibet, Annam, Siam and Manchuria gathering herbs. He continued to gather herbs for the rest of his first 100 years. He lived on herbs and plenty of rice wine. When asked for his secret of long life. Li Ching-yun gave it readily: "Keep a quiet heart, sit like a tortoise, walk sprightly like a pigeon and sleep like a dog." The "Scholar War Lord" Wu Pei-fu. not satisfied with this formula, took Li into his home and was lectured on "how to get the most out of each century" by maintaining "inward calm." Some said he had buried 23 wives, was living with his 24th. a woman of 60, had descendants of eleven generations. The fingernails of his venerable right hand were six inches long. Yet to skeptical Western eyes he looked much like any Chinese 60-year-old. In 1930 Professor Wu Chung-chieh, dean of the department of education at Chengtu University, found records that the Imperial Chinese Government had congratulated one Li Ching-yun in 1827 on his birthday. The birthday was his 150th, making the man who died last week—if it was the same Li Ching-yun, and respectful Chinese preferred to think so—a 256-year-old.

Tortoise-Pigeon-Dog - TIME

Animoto Rocks!

2008-03-14T00:59:00.001-07:00

Here is my first test with it and it's pretty freaking cool.

Try it: www.animoto.com

flickrvision

2008-03-13T04:18:00.001-07:00

This interesting to watch but don't stare at it too long. It can be a time killer if you let it.

flickrvision

This American Life Promo #2: First TV Season on DVD

2008-03-12T15:21:00.001-07:00

If you've never heard this show then find an hour where you're driving or walking the dog and listen to it. It's a great show that tells real stories of different people. I only discovered it recently but I'm already hooked. Check it out online or through iTunes:

Anne Lamott: Put the puppy back on the paper | 43 Folders

2008-03-11T17:45:00.001-07:00

Merlin Mann mentioned this in one his podcasts and since then it's been a helpful reminder that I've adopted as well. So in my office (@ home currently), I have this reminder posted to the wall. My wife asked me the other day what it meant because she was bothered by it.

The idea is to gently remind yourself to get your focus back. I can easily let my mind wander at the slightest distraction. So this tip is very useful for me when my focus needs to be readjusted:

Next time you start to beat yourself up for all the things that aren’t working out or all the ways you’re falling short in your own eyes, try thinking about that puppy and what might be the best way to guide it back to the paper.

Anne Lamott also has the concept of the "shitty first draft" (sfd). This a great starting point for just about any project or post. Start by dumping some thoughts/ideas on paper or index card. Then move on to the second draft, third, etc. It's a way to get you to do some kind of action on whatever needs to get done. And action is really what it's about.

G.I. Joe always said that knowing is half the battle. As a kid it made me wonder, "Wtf is the other half?"

It's the doing.

Anne Lamott: Put the puppy back on the paper | 43 Folders

Another name

2008-03-11T03:18:00.000-07:00

The thing that has your attention is what you're truly focused on. Well lately I've been focused on GTD/self improvement things. So to keep my attention focused on keeping with these positive changes, I've changed the name of this blog to Peaceful Warrior. This concept comes from the book "The Four Agreements". It's a Toltec way of life/thinking which sounds very interesting as a life philosophy. The warrior part refers to the war of the individual mind rather than a soldier. Anyways, I like the concept so I'll give it my best effort.

This American Life - Great Radio Show

2008-03-10T15:05:00.001-07:00

This is a great show with humor, heart and some insight. It's great to listen to the different stories through my iPod. Here is a brief description of the show:

If you've never heard This American Life, our staff's favorite shows page provides a great introduction to what we do. You might want to start there. After a few episodes, we're sure you'll figure it out. Or, if you're looking for a written introduction, here goes:
One of our problems from the start has been that when we try to describe This American Life in a sentence or two, it just sounds awful. For instance: each week we choose a theme and put together different kinds of stories on that theme. That doesn't sound like something we'd want to listen to on the radio, and it's our show.
So usually we just say what we're not. We're not a news show or a talk show or a call-in show. We're not really formatted like other radio shows at all.

This American Life - About Our Radio Show

Humanity Lobotomy - Second Draft

2008-03-05T06:10:00.001-08:00

Net Neutrality sucks! This video does a good job of explainining why.

Parenting tips roundup

2008-03-04T04:15:00.001-08:00

There's no shortage of lists on the net and rather than talking about all the different posts I'll list the links and the concise version of the "advice". Most of which is common advice but still good to remember:

How to be a Great Dad - 12 Awesome Tips | Zen Habits

Put their interests first, always.
Protect them.
Spend your spare time with them. --The thing kids want most from their dads is their time.
Give them hugs.
Play with them. See 100 Ways to Have Fun with Your Kids for Free or Cheap.
Do the “mom” stuff. changing diapers, feeding, bathing, rocking them to sleep in the middle of the night.
Read to them. This is one of the most important things you can do for your child. See the Best All-Time Children’s Books.
Stand by mom. Don’t contradict their mother in front of them, don’t fight with her in front of them, and most definitely don’t ever abuse her.
Teach them self-esteem. Maybe this should be No. 1.Praise and encourage, don’t reprimand and discourage.
Teach them about finances.
Be good to yourself. You need to take care of yourself, give yourself some alone time, and some time with your buddies, also eat healthy, exercise.
Be good to the mom. Take her to dinner, give her a massage, do chores around the house for her, give her some time alone and babysit while she goes out, show affection to her, give her little surprises. Because when mom’s happy, the kids are happy. And dad will be happy too!

How to Raise Wonderful Kids - 15 Fantastic Tips to Shine as a Parent

Do the following:

Let your family be one of your top priorities.

Listen to them.

Be the life coach of your kids.

Expose them to art and wonder.

Teach them the value of people.

Teach them how to save.

Reward them.

Teach them how to handle disappointments.

Avoid the following:

Don’t teach them your limitations.

Don’t force them.

Don’t fight or argue in front of them.

Don’t act cheap.

Don’t lose patience.

Tony Robbins motivates you in 20 minutes: TEDTalks

2008-03-01T04:24:00.001-08:00

I've never heard him talk before but Tony Robbins in this talk is very good. He's got some great points that make you think about your life. I recommend checking out the 20 minute video.

Early Riser Discipline

2008-02-07T14:57:00.001-08:00

I've read a lot of the posts about becoming an early riser. Unfortunately they all failed for me. Not because they're bad but I think it takes discipline. Improving my discipline is my next goal...

From the following post it seems I should focus on the goal more than the art: Discipline is an illusion; Motivate yourself instead

if you think you don’t have discipline, you don’t need it. What you need is to commit to your goal or habit and fully motivate yourself.

I'll try these tips and see how it works out. I started using Joe's Goals again with modified goals and using the logbook too. I expect I'll definitely see improvements in the next few weeks.

YoungEntrepreneur.com Blog » The Top 10 Mistakes People Make When Starting A Business

2008-02-07T14:24:00.001-08:00

Sounds like good tips I'll have to remember someday when I start a business.

1) Not enough money.
The most common reason why new businesses shut down is that the owner runs out of money. Cash flow is critical to a startup business. You could be profitable and still have to close your doors because your customers are taking too long to pay you. Cash is king in a startup venture and you need to prepare for it.
One option is to make sure you have enough startup capital from your own investments or outsiders (bank loan, private investors, etc). A second option is to ease into the business so that you start doing it on a part-time basis until you know that it will make enough money to support you.
2) Not thinking survival.
Starting a business is all about survival. How do you stay around one more day so that you can learn more about your market and close new customers?
At the beginning stages of a business this may mean doing work that might not be completely what you want to do but it helps pay the bills. You need to do whatever it takes to survive and get through until the business can fully support yourself.
3) Losing momentum.
Many new entrepreneurs have ambitions to start a business so they create a website, try to make a few sales, go all out for a few months and then stop completely. Building a business is all about momentum. If you had 24 hours to spend on a business they would be put to far better use by spending one hour a day than for 24 hours straight.
It takes time to develop a new company and for people to react to what you have to offer. Never lose the momentum and even if your business is only a part time initiative for you at the moment, make sure that every day you are making progress of some sort to move your company forward.
4) Doing it all alone.
Nobody is perfect or has the skills to do everything themselves. You need to understand what it is that you bring to the table and what you need to surround yourself with. If, for example, you are very strong at inventing but don’t want to sell then you need to find a salesperson to help you.
You won’t succeed by forcing yourself to do things that you truly don’t enjoy and will never be good at. Know where you stand and what value you can offer. By getting people around you who complement your skills, you will be able to achieve your goals and have a lot more fun along the way!
5) Not hiring right away.
You should begin looking at who can be brought on board to help you from the first day of starting your company. There will be tasks in any business that you, as the owner, should not be focusing on if you hope to build any sort of sizable organization. Why are you doing admin work when you should be out closing customers, talking to the media, and landing new partnerships?
But I’m broke! How can I hire someone? Even if you have a $0 budget you can find people to work for you through high school and foreign student internship programs. Once you have a budget, you can bring people on board for as little as one hour a day (what I first did) and then increase their hours when you can afford it. You need to be spending your time working on the business and not in the business.
6. Doing it just for the money.
If you don’t truly love your business then you won’t be successful. If you read the stories of famous entrepreneurs and how they built their organizations you will find that it all comes down to the root of loving what you are doing.
Money is definitely important, as most companies are for-profit enterprises, but it will often take a long time to come and if you don’t truly enjoy your work then you won’t be able to convince yourself to keep going. You can only do something that you don’t really love for so long before you give up.
7. Getting to year 1, past year 2.
Many entrepreneurs have a hard time getting to the end of year one. Typically it’s because they started the business on a whim and got excited about an opportunity but didn’t do the proper research. These entrepreneurs usually run out of money and close down after a few months.
A second challenge is getting through year two. It usually takes three years of hard work to make a business. Year one is all about the excitement of getting started. You’re high on energy and ready to take on the world. In year two entrepreneurs often find themselves still not making much money and the startup excitement has faded. You’ll need to work your way through the downturn and know that the money is coming if you keep at it.
8. Don’t build around a customer.
The best way to make a lot of money quickly is to find a customer who has a problem and is willing to pay you to solve it - and then you go out and build the solution. Most entrepreneurs take the opposite mentality of “if I build it, then will come” only to realize that they’ve built it and nobody is coming. Instead of talking to customers as to why they’re not coming they decided to continue building and building. Soon they find out that they’ve invested years of work and nobody is interested in buying from them.
The companies with the highest failure rates are restaurants because they are usually built around an owner’s personal tastes. Meanwhile, the entrepreneurs with the lowest failure rates are lawyers and accountants because they are based around a service that we all need (whether we like it or not!) Talk to potential customers, see what they are interested in, identify who has money and what their pains are and then create your product / service around them.
9. Don’t seek mentors.
A great way to get a business going is to find out what other people have done to achieve success and implement those strategies into your own company. Find mentors who have knowledge of your industry and will give you time out of their day to help you.
You could set up a formal board of advisers and compensate people for their time but if you’re a startup you can play on the fact that most entrepreneurs are willing to help out a fellow business owner as a way to give back. If you show genuine appreciation and approach the right people, the advice you get will help make or break your company.
10. Don’t get involved in the community.
Tied in with not seeking mentors is not getting involved in the small business community. Countless opportunities are generated by connecting with other young entrepreneurs and finding out what they are up to and how you can help. You will get new business opportunities, partners, investment, media attention, ideas for productive tools to use, advice for your company, and many other resources that otherwise would take you years of trial and error to figure out (if you ever do at all).
A great community to be involved in, needless to say, is the Young Entrepreneur Forums, where there are over 32,500 entrepreneurs waiting to meet you and help you grow your business!

YoungEntrepreneur.com Blog » The Top 10 Mistakes People Make When Starting A Business

Be Present | Zen Habits

2008-02-07T04:26:00.001-08:00

This is a good article about focusing on the now. What's happening in the present moment. I'll be practicing this from now on. I don't want to set any timelines or deadlines but rather I want it to be a mantra that I can remember. Maybe I should get a tattoo that says "Be Present". Probably not but I'm going to try my best to remember this daily. Check out the article for more info:

The Magic of Flow
There’s a concept called Flow that’s been pretty popular among productivity circles in the last couple of years. I’m a big fan of it myself. In a nutshell, it’s basically losing yourself in whatever you’re doing — reaching that magical zone where you forget about the outside world and are completely doing what you’re doing, whether that’s writing or drawing or coding or whatever.
It’s a wonderfully productive zone to be in, and a state that also, incidentally, makes you happier. Productive and happier at the same time. Hard to beat that.
However, it can’t happen if you’re switching between tasks or thinking about the past or the future. It basically happens when you are in the present. So practicing being present will help you get to flow, which makes you happier and more productive. Best argument yet for being present, perhaps.

A Simple Guide to Being Present for the Overworked and Overwhelmed | Zen Habits

a day in the life of a cat and dog

2008-02-02T05:13:00.001-08:00

This was posted on craigslist and I wanted to repost it here in case it is gone after a week. Very funny:

a day in the life of a cat and dog

Reply to: pers-559791125@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-02-01, 4:34PM EST

The Dog's Diary
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 PM - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
1:00 PM - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 PM - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 PM - Dinner! My favorite thing!
7:00 PM - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 PM - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 PM - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

The Cat's Diary
Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.
They dine l avishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.
The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an Attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates my capabilities.
However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Bastards!
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advanta ge.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow, but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and Snitches.
The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released, and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously Retarded.
The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicate with the Guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an Elevated Cell, so he is safe.
For now.

a day in the life of a cat and dog

Matt's Idea Blog: How to read a lot of books in a short time

2008-01-20T06:26:00.001-08:00

Stumbled on this article but since I have a ton of books also I'd like to plow through, I'll have to try this technique. It also got me thinking about the Aversion Therapy mentioned early in his post. I should make uncomfortable those things that I want to do less of like watching TV. It means giving up my comfortable recliner. Ah well someone on craigslist will enjoy it.

the most useful technique comes from Jason Womack [3], and synthesizes nicely the most common ideas. In a nutshell, he says he reads the book four times:

Table of contents, glossary, index.
Anything in bold, titles, and subtitles.
First line of every paragraph.
Entire book
Here's the twist: Steps 1-3 should only take about 10 minutes. To capture relevant information he uses a note-taking scheme involving putting dots in margins, and cross-referencing them in an index in the book's front. When done, he transfers them to a text file.

Matt's Idea Blog: How to read a lot of books in a short time

Rules Kids Won't Learn in School

2008-01-18T16:51:00.001-08:00

I'll have to remember to teach this to my kids:

Rule #1. Life is not fair. Get used to it. The average teenager uses the phrase "it's not fair" 8.6 times a day. You got it from your parents, who said it so often you decided they must be the most idealistic generation ever. When they started hearing it from their own kids, they realized Rule #1.

Rule #2. The real world won't care as much about your self-esteem as your school does. It'll expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself. This may come as a shock. Usually, when inflated self-esteem meets reality, kids complain that it's not fair. (See Rule No. 1)
Rule #3. Sorry, you won't make $50,000 a year right out of high school. And you won't be a vice president or have a car phone either. You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn't have a Gap label.
Rule #4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait 'til you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure, so he tends to be a bit edgier. When you screw up, he is not going ask you how feel about it.
Rule #5. Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping. They called it opportunity. They weren't embarrassed making minimum wage either. They would have been embarrassed to sit around talking about Kurt Cobain all weekend.
Rule #6. It's not your parents' fault. If you screw up, you are responsible. This is the flip side of "It's my life," and "You're not the boss of me," and other eloquent proclamations of your generation. When you turn 18, it's on your dime. Don't whine about it or you'll sound like a baby boomer.
Rule #7. Before you were born your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way paying your bills, cleaning up your room and listening to you tell them how idealistic you are. And by the way, before you save the rain forest from the blood-sucking parasites of your parents' generation try delousing the closet in your bedroom.
Rule #8. Life is not divided into semesters, and you don't get summers off. Nor even Easter break. They expect you to show up every day. For eight hours. And you don't get a new life every 10 weeks. It just goes on and on.
Rule #9. Television is not real life. Your life is not a sitcom. Your problems will not all be solved in 30 minutes, minus time for commercials. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop to go to jobs. Your friends will not be perky or as polite as Jennifer Aniston.
Rule #10. Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them. We all could.
Rule #11. Enjoy this while you can. Sure, parents are a pain, school's a bother, and life is depressing. But someday you'll realize how wonderful it was to be kid. Maybe you should start now.
You're welcome.

Rules Kids Won't Learn in School

Drunk History vol. 1 - Featuring Michael Cera

2008-01-17T02:40:00.001-08:00

Freaking hilarious!

Fighting the good fight and meeting Negroponte

2008-01-09T16:23:00.001-08:00

This is a great post which is funny and makes you think.

"Hi, I'm Nicholas Negroponte, and I founded the MIT Media Lab, ran it, and then quit so I could build laptops for every single child in the entire world."
--
Of course, I said the only thing I could: "Sheeeee-iiit, negro... ponte."
No, I wish. What I said was, "Oh my god! I know you! You're crazy!"
He looked just a little taken aback. I think I even heard him mutter, "Adumbasssezwhat?"

Call Me Fishmeal.: You've Gotta Fight for Your Right to... OLPC!

Registration-free commenting and piracy numbers

2008-01-09T01:51:00.001-08:00

Couple of interesting articles. First on the defense of having a registration-free commenting system:

Further evidence that the Ni-Chan paradox still holds:

Registration keeps out good posters. People with lives will tend to ignore forums with a registration process.
Registration lets in bad posters. Children and Internet addicts tend to have free time to go register an account and check their e-mail for the confirmation message. They will generally make your forum a waste of bandwidth.
Registration attracts trolls. If someone is interested in destroying a forum, a registration process only adds to the excitement of a challenge. Trolls are not out to protect their own reputation. They seek to destroy other peoples' "reputation..
Anonymity counters vanity. On a forum where registration is required, or even where people give themselves names, a clique is developed of the elite users, and posts deal as much with who you are as what you are posting. On an anonymous forum, if you can't tell who posts what, logic will overrule vanity.

Updated data from Topix on registration-free commenting (Skrentablog)

And second, an old but interesting recount about software piracy for a company owner:

http://www.ambrosiasw.com/forums/?showtopic=34059

10 Golden Lessons from Albert Einstein at LifeTweak

2008-01-04T17:52:00.001-08:00

Another inspirational and great list for the new year:

Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving - Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was an amazing physicist. He figured out so many universal principles and equations that he was way ahead of his fellow scientists at any point of time. But he is also remembered for another thing; a quality which made people call him a genius: his words. Prof. Einstein was a philosopher who clearly understood the laws of success and explained them like the way he did with his equations. Here is a list of 10 things out of the numerously wonderful things he had said; 10 golden lessons that you can put to use in your everyday life.
1. A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.
Most people don’t try new things because of their fear of failure. Failing is not something to be afraid of. It is often the losers who learn more about winning than the winners. Our mistakes always give us opportunities to learn and grow.
2. Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.
30 years from now, you won’t possible remember what chapters you had in your science book; you’d only remember what you learn on your way. Life lessons stay with you forever. Real education starts from within.
3. I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
When you reflect on how far we humans have come from the prehistoric caves to mind-blowing technological advancements, you would feel the power of imagination. What we have now was built from the imagination of our forefathers. What we will have in future will be built from our imagination.
4. The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.
Creativity and uniqueness often depends on how well you hide your sources. You can get inspired and influenced by other great people; but when you are on stage with the whole world watching, you must become a unique, individual force that learnt different values from different people.
5. The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive. Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.
If you think of all the top people in the world, they would have added something of value to the world. You must give in order to take. When your purpose is contributing or adding value to the world, you will be elevated to a higher level of living.
6. There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.
When nothing is a miracle, you gain the power of doing anything you want and you have no limits. And when everything is a miracle, you stop by to appreciate even the smallest of beautiful things in the world. Thinking both ways will give you a productive and happy life.
7. When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.
Dreaming about all the great things that you can achieve is the key to a life filled with positivity. Let your imagination run amuck and create the world that you would wish to be in.
8. In order to be an immaculate member of a flock of sheep, one must above all be a sheep oneself.
If you want to become a very successful entrepreneur, you must start a business right away. Wishing to become one, but fearing the consequences will not help. The same applies to everything – in order to win a game, one must above all play the game.
9. You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.
Learn the rules of your game and start playing it best. Keep competing like your life depended on it. And after a while you will have no one else but you to compete against. At that point, better your best.
10. The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.
Intelligent people ask. Keep questioning yourself and others to find solutions. This will help gain knowledge and analyze your growth in all walks of life.

10 Golden Lessons from Albert Einstein at LifeTweak - Lifestyle Tweaks and Pointers on Self Improvement, Productivity and Positivity

Interesting Software Development Articles

2008-01-04T04:25:00.001-08:00

The Mythical 5% - Talk given by B. Eckel about Software Development.

They Write the Right Stuff - About the NASA software engineers.

Fare-Finder Shootout: Mobissimo Wins - GigaOM

2007-12-30T05:56:00.001-08:00

Going to have to try this sometime and see how well it works.

Mobissimo

Fare-Finder Shootout: Mobissimo Wins - GigaOM

Get a human voice on the phone

2007-12-30T02:59:00.001-08:00

This seems like a great idea and database. It's a collection of companies, phone numbers and the method's to bypass the automated systems and reach a human being on the other end. I just hope it's kept updated.

gethuman 500 database from Paul English

SmugMug Picasa Uploader

2007-12-20T15:00:00.001-08:00

Finally someone has created the plugin I've been thinking about making for almost a year now. You can now upload to smugmug.com directly from Google Picasa.

Great plugin, thanks meejer.com!

SmugMug Picasa Uploader

Update [03-23-08]: It looks like this is the new uploader or at least this one works:

New Uploader

Nutrigrain Ad

2007-12-17T12:58:00.001-08:00

Oh Yeahhhh!!! I feel great!

Best cup of chai this side of Bombay

2007-12-05T16:20:00.001-08:00

I'm a chai addict. I even like the starbucks when I can't have the home version. I've never been to this place below but I'm going try the recipe and see if it lives up to the reputation.

Raman Bechar's Chai
This is a home version of the chai at Coastside Gourmet Coffee Tea & Health Nuts in Half Moon Bay. Owner Raman Bechar and his son, Raj, make each chai to order by frothing the milk, tea, sugar and spice mix together with their espresso machine. This recipe allows you to prepare it on the stovetop.
INGREDIENTS:

1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons Tea India tea leaves (see Note), or a blend of Darjeeling and Assam tea leaves
1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
Two pinches Chai Masala (see recipe)
INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine the milk, tea leaves and sugar in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. As it slowly comes to a simmer, swirl often to incorporate the sugar and keep an eye on the heat to prevent the milk from burning. A thin film will form on the surface and the milk will turn golden.
When the milk comes to a low boil, reduce heat, add a pinch of spice mix and simmer gently, swirling occasionally, for 3 minutes.
Set a small strainer over a tea cup. To create foam, hold the saucepan a foot or more above the cup and pour in the chai, then let rest for a minute or two. Dust with a small pinch of spice mix.
Yields 1 cup
Note: Raman Bechar uses the imported Tea India brand, which is for sale at his cafe and at Indian grocers.
PER CUP: 200 calories, 8 g protein, 24 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat (5 g saturated), 33 mg cholesterol, 120 mg sodium, 0 fiber.
Chai Masala
The exact proportion of spices in Bechar's chai masala, or spice blend, is a house secret. This recipe is an approximation and will make enough for multiple cups of chai. Be sure to use fresh spices.
INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon ground green cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine all spices in a small bowl. Stir well to blend.
Yields 2 1/4 teaspoons

Best cup of chai this side of Bombay

EDUTRUE: Ten Mistakes In Education by Roger Schank

2007-12-04T11:34:00.001-08:00

EDUTRUE: Ten Mistakes In Education by Roger Schank

Ten Mistakes In Education

By Roger Schank

Founding Director, The Institute for the Learning Sciences (ILS)

Obviously, I believe that the school system is making a great many mistakes. Here are my ten favorites, favorite not because I like them but because eradicating them would go so far towards helping kids learn:

Mistake #1: SCHOOLS ACT AS IF LEARNING CAN BE DISASSOCIATED FROM DOING.
There really is no learning without doing. There is the appearance of learning without doing when we ask children to memorize stuff. But adults know that they learn best on the job, from experience, by trying things out. Children learn best that way, too. If there is nothing to actually do in a subject area we want to teach children it may be the case that there really isn't anything that children ought to learn in that subject area.

Mistake #2: SCHOOLS BELIEVE THEY HAVE THE JOB OF ASSESSMENT AS PART OF THEIR NATURAL ROLE.
Assessment is not the job of the schools. Products ought to be assessed by the buyer of those products, not the producer of those products. Let the schools do the best job they can and then let the buyer beware. Schools must concentrate on learning and teaching, not testing and comparing.

Mistake #3: SCHOOLS BELIEVE THEY HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO CREATE STANDARD CURRICULA.
Why should everyone know the same stuff? What a dull world it would be if everyone knew only the same material. Let children choose where they want to go, and with proper guidance they will choose well and create an alive and diverse society.

Mistake #4: TEACHERS BELIEVE THEY OUGHT TO TELL STUDENTS WHAT THEY THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW.
There isn't all that much that it is important to know. There is a lot that it is important to know how to do, however. Teachers should help students figure out how to do stuff the students actually want to do.

Mistake #5: SCHOOLS BELIEVE INSTRUCTION CAN BE INDEPENDENT OF MOTIVATION FOR ACTUAL USE.
We really have to get over the idea that some stuff is just worth knowing even if you never do anything with it. Human memories happily erase stuff that has no purpose, so why try to fill up children's heads with such stuff? Concentrate on figuring out why someone would ever want to know something before you teach it, and teach the reason, in a way that can be believed, at the same time.

Mistake #6: SCHOOLS BELIEVE STUDYING IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF LEARNING.
Practice is an important part of learning, not studying. Studying is a complete waste of time. No one ever remembers the stuff they cram into their heads the night before the exam, so why do it? Practice, on the other hand, makes perfect. But, you have to be practicing a skill that you actually want to know how to perform.

Mistake #7: SCHOOLS BELIEVE THAT GRADING ACCORDING TO AGE GROUP IS AN INTRINSIC PART OF THE ORGANIZATION OF A SCHOOL.
This is just a historical accident and it's a terrible idea. Age-grouped grades are one of the principal sources of terror for children in school, because they are always feeling they are not as good as someone else or better than someone else, and so on. Such comparisons and other social problems caused by age-similar grades cause many a child to have terrible confidence problems. Allowing students to help those who are younger, on the other hand, works well for both parties.

Mistake #8: SCHOOLS BELIEVE CHILDREN WILL ACCOMPLISH THINGS ONLY BY HAVING GRADES TO STRIVE FOR.
Grades serve as motivation for some children, but not for all. Some children get very frustrated by the arbitrary use of power represented by grades and simply give up.

Mistake #9: SCHOOLS BELIEVE DISCIPLINE IS AN INHERENT PART OF LEARNING.
Old people especially believe this, probably because schools were seriously rigid and uptight in their day. The threat of a ruler across the head makes children anxious and quiet. It does not make them learn. It makes them afraid to fail, which is a different thing altogether.

Mistake #10: SCHOOLS BELIEVE STUDENTS HAVE A BASIC INTEREST IN LEARNING WHATEVER IT IS SCHOOLS DECIDE TO TEACH THEM.
What kid would choose learning mathematics over learning about animals, trucks, sports, or whatever? Is there one? Good. Then, teach him mathematics. Leave the other children alone.

Experiment: Surviving a Month Without Internet

2007-11-26T02:20:00.001-08:00

Poets&Writers, Inc.

Good article and some common sense to apply in your own daily lives.

Rock, paper, scissors - the loser

2007-11-14T05:07:00.001-08:00

Motivational Posters for those who love bikes

2007-08-20T13:31:00.001-07:00

Motivational Posters for those who love bikes

Aging, longevity genes and red wine

2007-08-16T02:00:00.001-07:00

Will research into "longevity genes" help us live longer and healthier lives?

This was a great segment on the Nova show. You've might have heard that red wine and cutting your food intake is good for you but after watching this, you might learn the science behind it.

I'm now trying to drink a glass or two of red wine everyday. Can be pricey. So I recommend finding some good and cheap red wines.

Any recommendations?

Check it out: NOVA | scienceNOW | Aging | PBS

Why Your Free Time is Boring - lifehack.org

2007-08-02T00:36:00.001-07:00

Very interesting article that might change your perception of work and play.

I certainly enjoy my job but you have to find and sometimes even create that happy place.

Why Your Free Time is Boring - lifehack.org

Things I wish I’d known when I was younger - lifehack.org

2007-08-01T23:10:00.001-07:00

Although it's good as a refresher too:

Most of it doesn’t matter.

The greatest source of misery and hatred in this world is clinging to past hurts.

Waiting to do something until you can be sure of doing it exactly right means waiting for ever.

Following the latest fashion, in work or in life, is spiritual and intellectual suicide.

If people complain that you’re too fond of going your own way and aren’t fitting in, you must be on the right track.

If you make your work your life, you’re making your life into hard work.

The quickest and simplest way to wreck any relationship is to listen to gossip.

Trying to please other people is largely a futile activity.

Every winner is destined to be a loser in due course.

You can rarely, if ever, please, placate, change, or mollify an asshole.

Everything takes twice as long as you plan for and produces results about half as good as you hoped.

People are oddly consistent.

However hard you try, you can’t avoid being yourself.

When it comes to blatant lies, there are none more egregious than budget figures.

The loudest noise in the world is the sound of people whining.

Neatorama » Origin of Familiar Phrases

2007-08-01T23:06:00.001-07:00

Interesting how some of these phrases came about like this one:

TOUCH AND GO

Meaning: A risky, precarious situation
Origin: “Dates back to the days of stagecoaches, whose drivers were often intensely competitive, seeking to charge past one another, on narrow roads, at grave danger to life and limb. If the vehicle’s wheels became entangled, both would be wrecked; if they were lucky, the wheels would only touch and the coaches could still go.” (From Loose Cannons and Red Herrings, by Robert Claiborne)

Einstein on Buddhism

2007-07-25T06:16:00.001-07:00

Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: It transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spritual; and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity. -Albert Einstein

If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism. -Albert Einstein

A human being is part of the whole, called by us 'Universe'; a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest--a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compasion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely but striving for such achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.
-Albert Einstein

Here's another quote from Einstein that I love. It is my signature at the bottom of my emails:

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed. -Albert Einstein

From: http://thebuddhistblog.blogspot.com/2005/05/einstein-on-buddhism.html

Great quotes from a great man about a religion that fascinates me for it's tranquility and honesty. The blog looks interesting and I'll have to follow the rss feed now.

Motivation: Jerry Seinfeld's productivity secret - Lifehacker

2007-07-24T16:50:00.001-07:00

This seems like a great tip to try. Seems kinda cool that Seinfeld used it also.

Motivation: Jerry Seinfeld's productivity secret - Lifehacker

Chiranjeevi: Indian Bruce Willis?

2007-07-24T15:10:00.001-07:00

I don't know much about this guy but I ran across some of his YT goodness. Very funny videos.

Megastar on wikipedia: Chiranjeevi

Forget what you know about action movies and physics in general:

(Classic, I always wondered if this was possible)

(Wait for the end)

(Cheesy goodness)

It’s so bad that it’s good.

#6 - Auspicious

2007-07-23T08:18:00.001-07:00

I use to think word had a negative connotation instead of the positive one:

auspicious \aw-SPISH-uhs\, adjective:
1. Giving promise of success, prosperity, or happiness; predicting good; as, "an auspicious beginning."
2. Prosperous; fortunate; as, "auspicious years."
But as Saturday fell on a very auspicious day in the Chinese calendar, every hotel in Nanjing was booked for weddings.
-- Seth Kaplan with Craig S. Smith, "Adventure the Chinese Way", New York Times, May 3, 2000

Dictionary.com/Word of the Day Archive/auspicious

#5 - Antebellum

2007-07-23T08:13:00.001-07:00

From - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Antebellum is a Latin word meaning before war (ante means before and bellum means war).

In United States history and historiography, the term antebellum is often used to refer to the period of increasing sectionalism leading to the American Civil War, instead of the term "pre-Civil War". In that context, the Antebellum Period is often considered to have begun with the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, although sometimes it is defined as extending back as early as 1812. Sometimes it is called the Old South. The time period after the civil war is called the postbellum or reconstruction era.

Antebellum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

#4 - Acumen

2007-06-01T15:37:00.001-07:00

acumen \uh-KYOO-muhn; AK-yuh-muhn\, noun:
Quickness of perception or discernment; shrewdness shown by keen insight.
With Leo's rare combination of editorial acumen and business know-how, he might have become a publishing giant had he not permitted his drinking and gambling to hold him back.
-- Ellis Amburn, Subterranean Kerouac: The Hidden Life of Jack Kerouac

Source: Dictionary.com/Word of the Day Archive/acumen

#3 - Abstemious

2007-05-31T17:57:00.001-07:00

I'm trying to be more abstemious myself.

abstemious \ab-STEE-mee-uhs\, adjective:
1. Sparing in eating and drinking; temperate; abstinent.
2. Sparingly used or consumed; used with temperance or moderation.
3. Marked by or spent in abstinence.
They were healthy and abstemious; their chief pleasure was reading and Oliver was a life member of the London Library.
-- Sylvia Townsend Warner, The Music at Long Verney

Source: Dictionary.com/Word of the Day Archive/abstemious

A CHOCOLATE MESS

2007-05-31T17:54:00.001-07:00

I love chocolate. Good chocolate. I usually don't eat the Hershey's varieties so much but the following proposal has me concerned and pissed. It's ridiculous:

Link to Jim Hightower | A CHOCOLATE MESS

Anyway, they give links to voice your opinion and they are some of the clearest and easiest I've seen yet. I don't get to voice my concern too often but you can't mess with Chocolate. :-)

Technorati tags: Food

#2 - Abrogate

2007-05-30T14:35:00.001-07:00

Dictionary.com has a great service called "Word of the day". I use to subscribe to it until I realized I would skip days. I ended up with about 200 days that I was behind. I still recommend it if you can keep up.

abrogate \AB-ruh-gayt\, transitive verb:
1. To annul or abolish by an authoritative act.
2. To put an end to; to do away with.
He also knows that failure to secure a clear unionist majority will leave the UUP [Ulster Unionist Party] leader vulnerable to those pressing for an assembly manifesto which would effectively threaten to abrogate the agreement.
-- "Politeness could not mask gulf within the UUP", Irish Times, May 20, 1998

Source: Dictionary.com/Word of the Day Archive/abrogate

Abjure - The First Word

2007-05-29T15:07:00.001-07:00

I just noticed that it's been almost a month since I posted last.

So I think I'll try something new to keep my postings going. Everyday (theoretically), I will post the meanings to those 100 words list.

Most likely, I'll use Dictionary.com for the meanings. Without further ado, the first word is:

abjure

abjure \ab-JUR\, transitive verb:
1. To renounce under oath.
2. To renounce or reject solemnly; to recant; to reject; repudiate.
3. To abstain from; to shun.

abjure, on his knees, his heretical views that the Earth moves around the Sun.
-- Alan Gurney, Below the Convergence

100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know, And I barely know

2007-05-28T12:42:00.000-07:00

I just saw this list of words that they say every parent should know. Since I'm having my first child here in a month, I thought it best to brush on this list since I know about 40 of those words.

Link to 100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know published by Houghton Mifflin Company

Here are the words again:

abjure
abrogate
abstemious
acumen
antebellum
auspicious
belie
bellicose
bowdlerize
chicanery
chromosome
churlish
circumlocution
circumnavigate
deciduous
deleterious
diffident
enervate
enfranchise
epiphany
equinox
euro
evanescent
expurgate
facetious
fatuous
feckless
fiduciary
filibuster
gamete
gauche
gerrymander
hegemony
hemoglobin

homogeneous
hubris
hypotenuse
impeach
incognito
incontrovertible
inculcate
infrastructure
interpolate
irony
jejune
kinetic
kowtow
laissez faire
lexicon
loquacious
lugubrious
metamorphosis
mitosis
moiety
nanotechnology
nihilism
nomenclature
nonsectarian
notarize
obsequious
oligarchy
omnipotent
orthography
oxidize
parabola
paradigm
parameter

pecuniary
photosynthesis
plagiarize
plasma
polymer
precipitous
quasar
quotidian
recapitulate
reciprocal
reparation
respiration
sanguine
soliloquy
subjugate
suffragist
supercilious
tautology
taxonomy
tectonic
tempestuous
thermodynamics
totalitarian
unctuous
usurp
vacuous
vehement
vortex
winnow
wrought
xenophobe
yeoman
ziggurat

Top 5 Ways to Build a Wonderful Life

2007-05-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

YAL (Yet another list). I like this one though.

It's simple and I agree with it. Especially #3, Educate Yourself.

Link to Top 5 Ways to Build a Wonderful Life

Hot Dog Spot: The quest for the BEST Hot Dog in Los Angeles

2007-04-28T21:35:00.001-07:00

So tonight my wife and I are at the usual dilemma of what to eat for dinner. Food channel was doing a "The secret life of" hot dogs series and, of course, we had to have hot dogs.

So I searched the web and found what I think is a pretty cool hot dog restaurant review site. These guys definitely love dogs and they have some good reviews of local Los Angeles hot dog restaurants.

So far, I've only had Pinks Hot Dog, which is a well-known local favorite that is has been featured in ads, movies and shows like Entourage. Unfortunately, they didn't rate it very high but I thought was pretty good.

I've yet to try the other spots but now I'm excited to. This will definitely hurt the so-called diet.

Hot Dog Spot: The quest for the BEST Hot Dog in Los Angeles

Team Hanselman and Diabetes Walk 2007

2007-04-18T17:09:00.001-07:00

Scott Hanselman is great blogger. I've admired his work on ASP.NET and in general the tools, fonts, and all the geeky stuff he's gets excited about.

Help him out as he tries to raise money for a Diabetes Walk. It doesn't take much. I already donated.

Link to Scott Hanselman's Computer Zen - Team Hanselman and Diabetes Walk 2007

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2007-04-12T02:15:00.001-07:00

I love the kind of things that kids come up with.

A first grade teacher collected well-known proverbs. She gave each child in her class the first half of a proverb, and had them come up with the rest. Their insight may surprise you...

Better to be safe than ....Punch a 5th grader.
Strike while the.....Bug is close.
It's always darkest before....Daylight Savings time.
Never underestimate the power of.....Termites.
You can lead a horse to water but ....how?
Don't bite the hand that ....looks dirty.
No news is....impossible.
A miss is as good as a .....Mr.
You can't teach an old dog new....math.
If you lie down with dogs, you....stink in the morning.
Love all, trust .....me.
The pen is mightier than the....pigs.
An idle mind is....the best way to relax
Where there's smoke there's ....Pollution.
Happy the bride who.....gets all the presents.
A penny saved is....not much
Two's company, three's....the Musketeers.
Don't put off till tomorrow what....you put on to go to bed.
Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and ....you have to blow your nose.
None are so blind as....Helen Keller.
Children should be seen and not....spanked or grounded.
If at first you don't succeed....get new batteries.
You get out of something what you....see pictured on the box
When the blind leadeth the blind....get out of the way.

Source: Villines Internet Humor Archive Out of the Mouths of Babes

The Simple Dollar » Ten Financial Reasons To Turn Off Your Television - And Ten Things To Replace It With

2007-04-09T18:27:00.001-07:00

This is an (yet another) article talking about turning off the TV and bettering your life. I generally agree with it and to be honest, I really do watch less television these days (or I try to).

However, I don't know if I can go cold turkey. I mean, I get caught up the storylines for Lost, The Shield, MotoGP, Formula 1, Lakers, etc.

I know its worth it but I think my lifestyle will change in the coming months anyway. Baby on the way. :-)

Link to The Simple Dollar » Ten Financial Reasons To Turn Off Your Television - And Ten Things To Replace It With

Freakonomics, the blog

2007-04-06T13:55:00.001-07:00

If you liked the book then you'll probably like the blog too. I've said before that I loved the book. Even if you don't agree with it, it gets you thinking.

In fact, on a recent flight, I mentioned the book to a guy sitting next to me and he had an unusual reaction to it. He said that when he had recommended it to a black co-worker, that they had found it racist. I cannot speak for everyone but I read the book and I didn't see it that way.

Anyway, it was a great book and the blog is pretty good too:

http://www.freakonomics.com/blog/

Windows Live Writer Beta

2007-04-06T13:10:00.001-07:00

This little windows app lets you create your blog entries in a nice little editor on the desktop rather in the browser.

I'm writing from the app now and I have to say its pretty cool.

I used it for another blog on a long message and it did great.

You can download it here.

Go Speed Reader

2007-03-21T23:11:00.000-07:00

I'll admit that I don't read as often I would like to. It just seems like there is too much crap to watch on TV or YouTube. The last book I read was Freakonmics. Great book. Gets you thinking even if you don't agree with it.

I'm a slow reader but this book took me two months to finish. However, I only really read it for about 20 minutes a day and the information is worth comprehending. But I'm still pretty slow to average reader.

So I was happy to discover this link to improve your reading speed with comprehension. The article was so interesting that I actually read it and not just file into my Del.icio.us links that I will probably never read.

Take a look at this interesting article on doubling your reading rate.

I'll report back on if it works for me but don't hold your breath. It will take me some time to master but I immediately liked what he said about the subvocalizing.

Btw, speaking of good books, this one looks good too:
Survival of the Sickest

Sucker for a good bike trip

2007-02-22T15:53:00.000-08:00

I love to hear about stories of people who've done some amazing traveling. Like Rupert Wilson-young. He did 20,000 miles on a Yamaha Vino 50 !!! Wow. He even took some great shots along the way which you can see here: 20k on Vino Pics.

I like this one:

I really started liking the idea of traveling long distance traveling on 2 wheels many years ago. I think it was a blog entry by some guy who traveled from California to Alaska on a motorcycle.

But what really got me passionate about the idea was the Round the World trip that Ewan McGregor and his best friend Charlie B. took in Long Way Round. Aptly called 2 men, 2 bikes, 20,000 miles ...

The farthest that I've rode so far is 350 miles round-trip. So far...

Baby Sign Language

2007-02-21T03:01:00.000-08:00

Scott H. has a great post that has me excited to try this when my daughter is born in 4 more months. Essentially, it's sign language for babies.

Baby Sign Language

Nom de Blog

2007-02-20T16:25:00.000-08:00

I probably haven't mentioned but the Nom de Blog(blog name)/sub name are references to song names from my favorite band:

Trashcan Sinatras

Check out some of their music from free.

Although, I do have trouble sleeping but I have for the last 20 years.

Good Om Malik Post on Indian Outsourcers

2007-02-19T02:15:00.000-08:00

Om Malik has a great article about the current trend that the top talent in India is favoring:

Troubling Signs for Indian Tech Outsourcers

Arrgh. Craigslist scammers suck

2007-02-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

Recently, I've been trying to sell a vehicle on craigslist and so far I've received 2 people offer me certified checks. I guess they figure that I wouldn't read this obvious warning from CL.

Another guy is so persistent that he offered me $300 above my asking price if I would accept his home depot gift card offer. Apparently, he doesn't think that people can google:
Gift Card Fraud Arrest

I've used CL several times in the last 4 years and its been great but lately these jerks are screwing it up for everyone.

I guess its to be expected but I just hope others don't fall for it. Part of my angst come from recently watching this great movie about one of the biggest scams ever:
Enron.

Harmony 550

2007-02-16T16:43:00.000-08:00

I broke down and bought one (used). It's a good remote after programming setup. I do wish though that it would allow me to modify the activities myself.

Otherwise, great remote. Go get one.

I have mad 8th grade math skills!

2007-02-15T02:40:00.000-08:00

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 10/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

I used paper to solve most of these and I guessed on one question but it was a smart guess using elimination. Hey at 2:42AM, I don't care.

ClipX rocks

2007-02-14T00:46:00.000-08:00

Arsclip is out. Unfortunately the vista issues with that app just made me look for something more stable.

ClipX is that answer.

I found it thru Travis Illig's blog which saved me the trouble of trying out a bunch of apps. So thx Travis.

Another Review.

Anyways, so far so good.

Free image hosting

2007-02-13T23:05:00.000-08:00

This is a nice site for those times you need to post an image to ebay or craigslist.

Beware what you upload because the site and images are public and kept indefinetly according to the FAQ.

freeimagehosting.net

Google energy savings?

2007-01-30T13:57:00.000-08:00

Google.com has been my homepage for years. Now this guy posted an interesting article on how we can save more energy if google's background was black:

Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year

Turns out that while this may be true for Crts, its not for Lcd monitors. Still, I got to looking around and found a cool plugin for Firefox, Stylish. This pulgin makes many sites look much cleaner.

Stylish

Private Folder

2007-01-23T01:02:00.000-08:00

I haven't tried this but it looks it might be interesting if I need to ever share my laptop.

Microsoft Private Folder 1.0

1 Week

2007-01-22T22:59:00.000-08:00

I was gone for a company summit that was intense and yet very fun. It got my passion going again for what I'm working on. Although, it didn't give me much time to blog or probably I just chose not to. Oh well.

Want and need

2007-01-14T23:08:00.000-08:00

I read those financial blogs now and then. They speak of various way to become rich or just solve your financial problems. They talk about the difference between rich and others. Like that the rich only buy what they need.

So I try my best to separate between my wants and needs. Because they say that the rich only buy what they need. Or that the rich only buy things that appreciate in value.

Well, I know I don't need a new remote control but dammit, I want this one:

Harmony 550

I'll see how long I can hold out.

Btw, don't they also say that many rich folks are unhappy? Could be if they had this remote then they would be happier. :-)

Tennis channel contest

2007-01-12T05:16:00.000-08:00

Tennis channel has a contest to pick who will win the Australian open. So for fun, you can see my picks here:

Tennis Channel Contest

Funny car note

2007-01-12T03:18:00.000-08:00

EDIT: Well this was a funny note but it appears missing now from flickr.

Pic
Let this be a lesson to you double space parking hogs.

Meaning of Love?

2007-01-11T22:58:00.000-08:00

This is a great post about answers from kids when asked what Love means:

What does love mean?

iPhone looks good

2007-01-10T22:35:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the iPhone from Apple yet? I haven't, except for on the web. But it looks very cool, sleek, sexy and innovative. As you can tell, envy has already set in. Must resist temptation to get one.

Early Riser and Joe's Ok

2007-01-09T22:09:00.000-08:00

So I'm still using Joe's Goals and I had question which I sent him and he responded in a few hours. Nice.

The goals that I have been wanting half heartedly are now becoming clear that I need to adopt, accept and change my ways. As you can tell from the title of this blog. I have trouble sleeping. Thats fine, I mean I can live with that but lately, its totally thrown off my cycle.

So I am going to try these suggestions from Steve Pavlina:

Early Riser

Early Riser Pt.2

Get up when alarm goes off...

I enjoy his writing. But there is so much to read that I get caught up reading every other article and I feel like I'm wasting time or something even though its for personal development.

Anyways, lets see how it goes.

Here is his: Best of...

Chile Spiced Mango... mmm!

2007-01-08T16:55:00.000-08:00

These are a great snack.

Chile Spiced Mango