Mindful Ink http://www.mindfulink.com Life, Living and Productivity Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:13:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 en Done here… http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/11/10/done-here/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/11/10/done-here/#comments Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:13:19 +0000 Gideon http://www.mindfulink.com/?p=368 Well, I’m done here. I had some vain hopes I might be able to come back to this but I don’t now, nor will likely have in the future, time to manage a blog like this.  Productivity blogs are very time intensive. Anyway, I am still writing regularly… but in a more casual way and generally about [...] Well, I’m done here.

I had some vain hopes I might be able to come back to this but I don’t now, nor will likely have in the future, time to manage a blog like this.  Productivity blogs are very time intensive.

Anyway, I am still writing regularly… but in a more casual way and generally about religion, if you’re interested you can check it out at Ground of Being.

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]]> http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/11/10/done-here/feed/ I’ve not forgotten about you…. http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/22/ive-not-forgotten-about-you/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/22/ive-not-forgotten-about-you/#comments Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:00:29 +0000 Gideon http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/22/ive-not-forgotten-about-you/ For those of you who have applied to be part of our team here at Mindful Ink… I’ve not forgotten about you!  It’s a very busy week for all of us so you’ll probably hear something by the end of the week, though not likely in the next few days. But I’ve not forgotten!  Thanks for [...] For those of you who have applied to be part of our team here at Mindful Ink… I’ve not forgotten about you!  It’s a very busy week for all of us so you’ll probably hear something by the end of the week, though not likely in the next few days.

But I’ve not forgotten!  Thanks for your patience!

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]]> http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/22/ive-not-forgotten-about-you/feed/ Be Mindful to Put Out Fires Before They Start http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/21/be-mindful-to-put-out-fires-before-they-start/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/21/be-mindful-to-put-out-fires-before-they-start/#comments Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:16:30 +0000 Justin http://www.mindfulink.com/?p=362 If you’re constantly trying to put out fires, David Allen says in a new column, you may be ignoring the small signposts that are warning you in advance. Ubiquitous capture is a cornerstone of any successful GTD variation, and Allen says that if you’re not taking note of potential problems as they arise then they’re [...]

If you’re constantly trying to put out fires, David Allen says in a new column, you may be ignoring the small signposts that are warning you in advance. Ubiquitous capture is a cornerstone of any successful GTD variation, and Allen says that if you’re not taking note of potential problems as they arise then they’re that much more likely to blow up in your face later on. He calls it “The Curse of the Eternally Urgent”:

I’m not talking about ignoring priorities. I am talking about capturing, deciding, and organizing action steps about everything we have our attention on, big and little. The little, unimportant things too often demand much more attention later on than they deserve, and become too important because they weren’t handled when they would have been easy.

It’s really all about the law of cause-and-effect: positive, proactive action gets positive feedback. Be aware of what’s around you, take note of what’s important or possibly problematic, and “process” it when you have the time to do so. If you do that, you’re much more likely to nip problems in the bud and avoid another crisis.

What tools do you use for ubiquitous capture? How do you keep an eye out for blowups?

The Curse of the Eternally Urgent @ Huffington Post

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]]> http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/21/be-mindful-to-put-out-fires-before-they-start/feed/ Errors that Drive Typographists Nuts http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/21/errors-that-drive-typographists-nuts/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/21/errors-that-drive-typographists-nuts/#comments Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:11:14 +0000 Justin http://www.mindfulink.com/?p=361 In the digital era, with ubiquitous grammar check & spell check, grammar nazis are so passe. The new frontier of perfectionism belongs to the self-described “typography nazis!” A new post at Receding Hairline lists and explains common typographical errors that have become convention by way of lax standards. You’d think good word processing software would [...]

In the digital era, with ubiquitous grammar check & spell check, grammar nazis are so passe. The new frontier of perfectionism belongs to the self-described “typography nazis!” A new post at Receding Hairline lists and explains common typographical errors that have become convention by way of lax standards. You’d think good word processing software would catch this sort of thing, right? Wrong! Hyphenation errors are still remarkably common and “smart quotes” can still leave your work riddled with issues that would drive a typographist mad. To wit, citing “I am 5?10? tall” as an example:

So those ’straight’ quotes aren’t for proper quotes, but they represent feet and inches, right? Wrong. They’re not actually for anything. Feet and inches should be represented by primes, which look a bit like straight quotes tilted slightly to the right. If your browser supports the characters, the above statement should read: I am 5? 10? tall.

These issues may seem nitpicky, and the author seems ready to admit that they are, but if you want to stay on the bleeding edge of pedantry this is the kind of stuff you’ve got to stay up on!

Ten Typographical Mistakes Everyone Makes @ Receding Hairline

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]]> http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/21/errors-that-drive-typographists-nuts/feed/ Kisses Are A Better Fate Than Wisdom http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/21/kisses-are-a-better-fate-than-wisdom/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/21/kisses-are-a-better-fate-than-wisdom/#comments Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:00:39 +0000 Gideon http://www.mindfulink.com/?p=360 I live in Oklahoma.  Oklahoma has what can only be described as schizophrenic weather.  We have icy, freezing, windy winters and scorching, humid summers.  In terms of “beautiful days” we have something like two weeks worth a year.  Today looks like it will be one. If you live in an area with beautiful weather I encourage [...]

I live in Oklahoma.  Oklahoma has what can only be described as schizophrenic weather.  We have icy, freezing, windy winters and scorching, humid summers.  In terms of “beautiful days” we have something like two weeks worth a year.  Today looks like it will be one.

If you live in an area with beautiful weather I encourage you to go outside, find a comfy spot and read some poetry and just enjoy the world.  Finals will come and go, but days like this with some beautiful thoughts are hard to come by.

My suggestions?  You need poets who are in love with the world for this assignment…  Cummings, Ferlinghetti, Whitman… no dour Elliot’s.

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]]> http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/21/kisses-are-a-better-fate-than-wisdom/feed/ What’s in Your Special Sauce? http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/19/whats-in-your-special-sauce/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/19/whats-in-your-special-sauce/#comments Sat, 19 Apr 2008 11:40:14 +0000 Justin http://www.mindfulink.com/?p=356 In a great roundup post at Study Hacks Cal Newport reveals & recaps the unique blend of productivity strategies he’s using to cope with a tough semester. He calls his personal mix his “special sauce.” He covers all the bases, from the day-to-day grind (”Without an autopilot schedule I think I would drown in a [...] In a great roundup post at Study Hacks Cal Newport reveals & recaps the unique blend of productivity strategies he’s using to cope with a tough semester. He calls his personal mix his “special sauce.” He covers all the bases, from the day-to-day grind (”Without an autopilot schedule I think I would drown in a sea of small but time-consuming tasks”) to the wide-angle lens of life strategy and happiness:

“Happiness takes work. I didn’t realize this in college. But I’ve come to appreciate it more and more as I get older. I now go out of my way to forcefully integrate many of these principles into my daily routine. My thought: life will never be perfect, so stop focusing on what you wish you had, and starting getting the most out of what you do.”

My special sauce takes a solid GTD Moleskine base, throws in a dash of mindful awareness, and finishes simply with a todo.txt file. What’s in your special sauce?

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]]> http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/19/whats-in-your-special-sauce/feed/ 15 Fantastic Resources from UniversityBlog! http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/18/edulinks-15-fantastic-resources-youu2019ll-want-to-devour/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/18/edulinks-15-fantastic-resources-youu2019ll-want-to-devour/#comments Sat, 19 Apr 2008 04:24:41 +0000 Gideon http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/18/edulinks-15-fantastic-resources-youu2019ll-want-to-devour/ Our friend Martin at UniversityBlog has a very nice collection of good resources up.  Some of them are news to me, and look very useful!   2. INTUTE: ESRC FESTIVAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE 2008 Between the 7th and 14th of March, Intute’s great Social Sciences Blog had a 10-part series on the best blogs in different subjects [...] Our friend Martin at UniversityBlog has a very nice collection of good resources up.  Some of them are news to me, and look very useful!  

2. INTUTE: ESRC FESTIVAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE 2008

Between the 7th and 14th of March, Intute’s great Social Sciences Blog had a 10-part series on the best blogs in different subjects (Sociology, Psychology, Law, Elections, Statistics & Data, Economics, Business & Management, International Relations, Europe, and Politics & Government). It was a great series and it’s bound to include forums, sites, and blogs that you were not aware of.

  • Favourite Blogs in Social Sciences

    • So swing by the UniversityBlog for some handy new resources!  What other resources do you use that aren’t quite in the mass consciousness yet?

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    ]]>     http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/18/edulinks-15-fantastic-resources-youu2019ll-want-to-devour/feed/     Eating Cheap, Fast and Good! Pt. 2 http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/18/eating-cheap-fast-and-good-pt-2/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/18/eating-cheap-fast-and-good-pt-2/#comments Fri, 18 Apr 2008 05:59:07 +0000 Gideon http://www.mindfulink.com/?p=354 There’s only one big trick to getting into the habit of cooking some of your meals as opposed to letting the guy with a dirty apron getting paid $5.15 an hour be in charge of the stuff that keeps you alive.  Just one. Have a well stocked pantry. That’s it. Well, that’s mostly it.  I also include in [...]

    There’s only one big trick to getting into the habit of cooking some of your meals as opposed to letting the guy with a dirty apron getting paid $5.15 an hour be in charge of the stuff that keeps you alive.  Just one.

    Have a well stocked pantry.

    That’s it.

    Well, that’s mostly it.  I also include in that your refrigerator and freezer.

    If you stock up on basics that don’t go bad quickly you’ll always have stuff on hand and then grocery trips become “maintenance” trips as opposed to massive expenditures of cash.  The trick here is figuring out what to buy and how much of it.  If you cook an awful lot a place like Sam’s or Costco can be a pretty good deal, but if you don’t cook much than most of what you may buy there (plus the cost of membership) will go bad before you use it (with the exception of canned goods, pasta, etc.)

    This site here can help you a lot in figuring out what those basics are.  So let me get to some other important bits.

    • Spices - A well stocked spice cabinet can be the difference between a great and so-so meal, but unfortunately not many spices are all that cheap.  The good news is spices last a pretty long time before going bad.  So buy a couple of basics whenever you go shopping to cushion the price and eventually you’ll have all the spices you need no matter what you decide to cook.  For instance, one of my favorite recipes (Tandoori Chicken) is very simple to make with just a few ingredients, but it requires a LOT of spices.  But if you have those spices you can turn a chicken breast and some yogurt into an excellent meal!
    • Meat - Meat’s pretty tricky.  I’m a pretty heavy carnivore, so it’s a staple of my diet.  The trick here is to avoid things like steaks and try to stick to chicken breasts, boneless pork chops, ground beef and ground turkey.  You can also get deli meats at good prices at most megamarts, but you have to eat it fast as they go bad quick!  When it comes to the meat you buy… well, economically your best bet is those giant bags of chicken breasts.  For ground beef or turkey, your best bet is to buy in bulk and then seperate it into one pound servings, put it into a freezer bag, date it and toss it in the freezer.
    • Produce - Fresh produce is best, and usually pretty cheap.  Oranges and apples both last a long time, too!  And I always have a bag of mini-carrots around (cheap snack, low calories, good for you!)  As for other fruits and veggies - it just depends on how you eat with them but in general if you can get them frozen, it’s s cheap way to do so.  Using them won’t taste as good as fresh but you can make a great smoothie or some excellent stir-fry with frozen produce.
    • Pastas & Beans - Now, pasta isn’t the healthiest thing in the world - but it is cheap and filling, and can really extend a good sauce or some meat.  I always have some handy - you can make an incredible pasta dish with just a bit of olive oil, some grated cheese, and some spices.  Beans are also great to have around - I don’t like eating beans by themselves, but I keep chickpea (garbanzo) beans and black beans around and frequently toss them into other recipes.  Couscous is also a nice thing to have around - it’s not very pricey, very fast to make, and you can add just a few ingredients to get many different tastes.  All of these offer a lot of bang for their buck and can be purchased in bulk.
    One other option is to cook a lot of entrees at one time and simply freeze them.  There are plenty of cookbooks that can help you with this, and it really isn’t a bad idea.
    After you have the gear and the food it’s really just making it a matter of priority.  Make yourself a lunch and take it with you instead of eating in the school fast-food-a-thon, swing by the grocery store on the way home and pick up some fresh chicken knowing you have everything you need at home to turn it into something delicious.  Once you get into the habit you’ll be eating healthier, cheaper and tastier meals!

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    ]]>     http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/18/eating-cheap-fast-and-good-pt-2/feed/     Eating Cheap, Fast and Good! Pt. 1 http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/17/eating-cheap-fast-and-good-pt-1/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/17/eating-cheap-fast-and-good-pt-1/#comments Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:24:06 +0000 Gideon http://www.mindfulink.com/?p=349 As an older student I’m all too aware of what the college diet of fast food, poor cafeteria eats, beer and pizza can do to one’s body.  Age is certainly one reason you see seniors with beer bellies but a lot of it is just that sublime mix of stress (shown to contribute to weight [...]

    As an older student I’m all too aware of what the college diet of fast food, poor cafeteria eats, beer and pizza can do to one’s body.  Age is certainly one reason you see seniors with beer bellies but a lot of it is just that sublime mix of stress (shown to contribute to weight gain) and poor eats.  And, admittedly, it isn’t easy to maintain a healthy diet under current college conditions (pardon the alliteration).  My day to day schedule is positively insane, and I know students who don’t actually seem to ever quit (and really there is such a thing as overextending yourself.  Cal Newport puts it well when he discusses “The Grind.”) Still, one must eat and there are some things you can do to help yourself, without making such drastic changes as quitting those late night trips to Taco Bell.

    • Learn to Cook - I know, I know.. “Learn something else!?  Are you mad!??”  I don’t mean learn how to cook an entire East Indian dinner - but learn the basics: how to saute, grill, bake and broil.  Just TiVo Food Network’s “Good Eats” and you’ll learn a ton in just a week of short episodes.  Run across something you don’t know how to do?  YouTube it!  I learned how to best peel and cut a mango this way!  But seriously, baking cooking isn’t hard - and learning how to put some meat and marinade in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator can do wonders.  Personally, I find cooking to be very relaxing and enjoyable.  I even keep a blog of just my recipes: RecipesToGo!  

              Most of these are rather advanced recipes, but the Orange Date Couscous is both easy and delicious!  The Chickpea Curry is also a great beginner recipe.  

    • Invest - I really wish someone had told me this earlier.  Don’t buy one of those big boxes of pots and pans or knife sets.  First off, you don’t need that many pots and pans, and secondly they are probably crap.  And crappy equipment generally will result in crappy food.  Always?  No.  But you’re better off buying a few good pieces of equipment that will last you forever and cook evenly and nice.  And even so, this doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune - just aim for quality.  I’d suggest Alton Brown’s Gear For Your Kitchen as a guide, but I’m sure you can probably find some good online resources if you look.  Here are the basics (I’ve included links where I know of a solid product in particular):
      • Sauce Pan
      • Saute Pan
      • Cast Iron Fry Pan
      • Chef’s knife
      • Bread Knife
      • Cookie Sheet (I got a set of great commercial grade ones at Sam’s Club for cheap! - but these are great, too!)
      • Electric Thermometer - it just makes your life easier.  Pick one up at the local megamart - preferably with a probe attached to a large chord.
      • Stove Top Grill/Griddle - This isn’t really an essential, but I love mine.  It’s better and more useful than a “George Foreman” type grill, and you can get a very nice one for about 50 dollars.  I have both an Anodized Aluminum and a Cast Iron one… and I really prefer the Aluminum more.  I have an electric range and it just heats more evenly, with the drawback that it can’t get quite as hot as the cast iron.  The other upside is maintenance is much easier.  Just make sure you get one that is long enough to cover your burners.
      • Crock Pot - A lot of people swear by these.  They’re cheap, you can find recipes online, throw some stuff in a pot and come home to dinner.  Aside from roast, however, I’m not overly fond of what comes out of these.  So, it’s up to you.
    • Take Care of What You Invest In - Follow the manufacturer’s instructions!  Good knives are washed by hand, and so are most good pots and pans.  All of the items I linked to can last almost a life time if well cared for, so do it!
    • Practice - Find yourself some recipes that look good and easy and try them out!  Learning to cook well is about 50% practice and 50% trying new things.  I don’t mind saying - I’m a pretty good cook and the only thing I did was make a concentrated effort.  And you don’t even need to be “pretty good” you just need to be “decent!”  More than that is, pardon the expression, just icing.  Perhaps find a cookbook that specializes in teaching, but keep in mind you can find just about any recipe in the world online.  Food.com is a great resource (with difficulty ratings!) but so is:
    Okay, so now you can cook.  Next time we’ll discuss how to shop, what to buy, and how to store it!

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    ]]>     http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/17/eating-cheap-fast-and-good-pt-1/feed/     Is Wikipedia as Credible as the Oxford English Dictionary? http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/17/is-wikipedia-as-credible-as-the-oxford-english-dictionary/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/17/is-wikipedia-as-credible-as-the-oxford-english-dictionary/#comments Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:13:17 +0000 Justin http://www.mindfulink.com/?p=352 How many times have you heard a professor suggest that Wikipedia is completely unreliable and essentially useless because “anyone can edit it?” Niko Pfund, the publisher of the Oxford University Press, disagrees and is in fact “increasingly bored” by his colleagues’ vilification of the Wiki project. Why? “The Oxford English Dictionary, arguably the greatest reference work [...] How many times have you heard a professor suggest that Wikipedia is completely unreliable and essentially useless because “anyone can edit it?” Niko Pfund, the publisher of the Oxford University Press, disagrees and is in fact “increasingly bored” by his colleagues’ vilification of the Wiki project. Why?

    “The Oxford English Dictionary, arguably the greatest reference work in the English language…found its origins in a wiki model, whereby scholars put out the word to English speakers far and wide that they would welcome hard evidence of the earliest appearances of English words. The response was astonishing…so much so that the building in which the word submissions were kept, called The Scriptorum, began to sink under the weight of all the paper. Wikipedia is here to stay and its evolution will be one of the more interesting publishing and technology stories in the next decade.”

    Pfund also suggests that the anti-wiki bias in academia may be rooted in professional self-interest: if regular people can contribute to academic discussion in a meaningful way, maybe academics aren’t so “elite” after all. What do you guys think? Are the OED/wiki models comparable?

    “Inside Oxford University Press: Questions for Niko Pfund” [h/t to Wired Campus]

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    ]]>     http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/17/is-wikipedia-as-credible-as-the-oxford-english-dictionary/feed/     Introducing Justin http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/17/introducing-justin/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/17/introducing-justin/#comments Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:28:00 +0000 Gideon http://www.mindfulink.com/?p=353 As mentioned the other day, we’re trying something new with Mindful Ink.  We’re going to see how a more communal approach works, and I’m very excited not only about the prospect but the team I’m seeing lining up.  I’m hoping this process will be “complete” in about two weeks, but I’m still sorting through applications [...] As mentioned the other day, we’re trying something new with Mindful Ink.  We’re going to see how a more communal approach works, and I’m very excited not only about the prospect but the team I’m seeing lining up.  I’m hoping this process will be “complete” in about two weeks, but I’m still sorting through applications (and keep sending them if you’re interested!)  At any rate, you’ll see some changes as we sort out these wrinkles and get this going.  If any of you have any great websites or software to help coordinate multiple writers, I’m all ears.  We’re using Ning.com and I’m liking it, but I can’t help but to think there may be something better.

    Today, however, we’ll see the first post by Justin - the first of our new team here.  Justin has a blog called NeverSleep and wrapping up his English degree.  I suggest taking a look at his blog as there is some great content, and he’ll be bringing that touch here!  So this morning look for his first short post, and we’ll see some longer ones over the next few weeks as the semester wraps up. 

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    ]]>     http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/17/introducing-justin/feed/     Slashdot and Ubuntu http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/16/slashdot-and-ubuntu/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/16/slashdot-and-ubuntu/#comments Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:43:38 +0000 Gideon http://www.mindfulink.com/?p=351 Slashdot is not really known for its enlightened conversations. And if you, God forbid, mention Linux you may as well put your asbestos suit on. But while reading an article about Ubuntu being ready for prime time I came across this excellent comment by “Spy der Mann” I thought I’d share. It seems to sum [...]

    Slashdot is not really known for its enlightened conversations. And if you, God forbid, mention Linux you may as well put your asbestos suit on. But while reading an article about Ubuntu being ready for prime time I came across this excellent comment by “Spy der Mann” I thought I’d share. It seems to sum up the bigger problem in the Linux community when it comes to “mainstream.”

    Quite frankly, I don’t want to use the same operating system as someone who refuses to edit any configuration file…
    Leave Linux to the power users and the server market.

    No. Leave *SOME* Linux distributions to power users and the server market. But Windows users have the right to an alternative.

    The point isn’t that a user refuses to edit any configuration file. The point is that the user SHOULDN’T HAVE to edit any configuration file in the first place! Not to mention recompiling packages, building your own rpm’s, solve dependency problems, have to complain about drivers not working out of the box…

    Since I moved to Linux half a year ago, I’ve had to do a lot of stuff that the ordinary user shouldn’t have to. I would love to just click here and there, and WHILE STILL having options, not have to worry about messing around with the configuration.

    Tell me, why the heck are you afraid of ordinary users? Musicians, artists, graphic designers, hardcore gamers… they want something that just works. What do you have against that, and what are you afraid of? If you don’t want dumbed-down distributions, don’t use them and keep your own distro! Linux uses the GPL license for a reason.

    I don’t mind using the same operating system than an elitist zealot uses - just not the same computer.

    My opinion is also “No, it’s not ready.”  I am actually quite fond of Ubuntu, but I’ve also spent days trying to get my sound card working (and I’m sorry Linux fans, big difference in having to find, hand edit and compile your own drivers rather than going to a website and downloading it) or hours just trying to get the GUI up.  I’ve an installation through virtualization and via Boot Camp.  The problem really comes in at when something goes wrong, what do you do?  How much help can you get and what kind of things are you likely to have to do?   Here’s the question: can your mom install and maintain linux? 

    Linux is like a classic car.  If you have the skill to get it running, and keep it running, it can be a pretty sweet ride.  But just try finding parts!

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    ]]>     http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/16/slashdot-and-ubuntu/feed/     YouTube it! http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/16/youtube-it/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/16/youtube-it/#comments Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:59:08 +0000 Gideon http://www.mindfulink.com/?p=346 The term “google it” has become rather pedestrian these days, and rightly so… it is the “go to” place for quick info.  Whether it’s news or information, it’s my first stop.  Wikipedia provides as the source for my first detailed explanation of something (which is usually the first link in Google, so… Google still wins!) [...] The term “google it” has become rather pedestrian these days, and rightly so… it is the “go to” place for quick info.  Whether it’s news or information, it’s my first stop.  Wikipedia provides as the source for my first detailed explanation of something (which is usually the first link in Google, so… Google still wins!)  But more and more often I find myself doing something a little different.

    I’m YouTubing it!  Certain sorts of things are just easier seen than read, and often (especially when I’m cooking) I go to YouTube to find out how to do something.  

    • Want to learn how to Moon Walk?  YouTube It! 
    • You poor slobs need to learn how to tie a tie?  YouTube It!  
    • Want to make a pretty oragami flower for your sweetie?  YouTube It!  
    • Need your own semi-automatic LEGO rubberband gun?  That’s right… YouTube It!  
    • Want to make a delicious seared steak?  YouTube it!

    Of course, if you have an iPhone or iPod Touch this is even more useful!  You can YouTubeIt! on the go!

    YouTube (and sites like Google Video) have become an enormous database of instruction over just about any sort of thing one might due from laundry to creating a GTD Notebook!

    I must admit, I never really got much out of YouTube before I realized I could learn how to do things with it.  I mean, I like watching Charlie bite his brother as much as the next guy but I could never spend much time doing it.

     So here we are… YouTube for productivity.  You heard it here first.

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    ]]>     http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/16/youtube-it/feed/     “110 best books: The Perfect Library” http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/15/110-best-books-the-perfect-library/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/15/110-best-books-the-perfect-library/#comments Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:36:36 +0000 Gideon http://www.mindfulink.com/?p=347 OpenCulture pointed to an interesting article at the Telegraph “110 Best Books: The Perfect Library.” I’m sure you’ll agree and disagree, but it’s a solid list nonetheless and one could do worse than following their advice for a nice bit of self-education. The Illiad and The Odyssey Homer Set during the Trojan War, The Iliad combines battle scenes [...] OpenCulture pointed to an interesting article at the Telegraph “110 Best Books: The Perfect Library.” I’m sure you’ll agree and disagree, but it’s a solid list nonetheless and one could do worse than following their advice for a nice bit of self-education.

    The Illiad and The Odyssey
    Homer

    Set during the Trojan War, The Iliad combines battle scenes with a debate about heroism; Odysseus’ thwarted attempts to return to Ithaca when the war ends form The Odyssey. Its symbolic evocation of human life as an epic journey homewards has inspired everything from James Joyce’s Ulysses to the Coen brothers’ film, O Brother Where Art Thou?.

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    ]]>     http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/15/110-best-books-the-perfect-library/feed/     Shyfter Puts All Your Content in One Place (Theirs) http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/15/shyfter-puts-all-your-content-in-one-place-theirs/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/15/shyfter-puts-all-your-content-in-one-place-theirs/#comments Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:52:06 +0000 Gideon http://www.mindfulink.com/?p=344 Courtesy of the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Wired Blog I found out about a site called Shyfter today.  And evidently this has been making some waves as it works as a feedreader but also as a community so you essentially do all your interaction with the feed in one place. As to the service itself…  I can’t [...] Courtesy of the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Wired Blog I found out about a site called Shyfter today.  And evidently this has been making some waves as it works as a feedreader but also as a community so you essentially do all your interaction with the feed in one place.

    As to the service itself…  I can’t comment to thouroughly, it froze up a number of times and I couldn’t see any way to import an OPML file (no way I was going to manually copy and paste 200+ feeds!)  It is in beta, however - so keep that in mind if you care to play with it.  The interface does seem nice, and smooth but I want my RSS “ToGo” which means NewsGator or GoogleReader as far as I’m concerned - so it’s not a viable option for me regardless.

    So, that being said… the issue is essentially that it takes the communal part of blogs and puts it on their site.  Now from one perspective, this is very handy for the end user as it keeps them from bouncing around and in some ways probably will help create a broader, interactive community.  From another perspective it keeps visitors from ever actually visiting a bloggers website - essentially turning bloggers into content generators with no further control or interest (economic or otherwise) in the content they produce.  This also means that Shyfter gets to profit from their work.

    The Chronicle asks how this is different from something like Slashdot, but Slashdot is, essentially, a blog!  It creates content and doesn’t just siphon it.  What Shyfter is doing is essentially the same thing feed-stealers (though in a much grander way!) do - they copy your content, put it on their site, and get to benefit from your content without benefiting you!  The difference is that “all” content ends up there, so again… for the consumer it’s a pretty nice deal.

    What do I think?  I’m not sure.  I want to see interaction and activity on my site (helps one feel you’re not working in a vacuum) but I’m also very pro “big community.”  We’ll just have to see what happens.

    You can register with Shyfter for free.

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    ]]>     http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/15/shyfter-puts-all-your-content-in-one-place-theirs/feed/     A Change: Writers Wanted http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/15/a-change-writers-wanted/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/15/a-change-writers-wanted/#comments Tue, 15 Apr 2008 07:03:08 +0000 Gideon http://www.mindfulink.com/?p=343 I'm looking to make Mindful Ink more of a community (something I always wanted to do anyway.) I would like to see a team of writers here specializing in education, productivity, and technology - I'd be part of it too. Think of it as a "Lifehacker" without all the money. :) So, this is a call out for those of you who want to write a blog, and those of you who do - with a few of us this need not be a lot of work, and the quality of a whole will certainly improve. Those of you who already write a successful blog, feel free to join up as well if you like - more voices the better. Since I’ve recovered this website has been a bit of an elephant in the room for me. 

    At first, I did plan on regularly posting again and just grinding away as I had before.  Unfortunately, I’ve found that rebuilding my academic, professional and personal life has been using every scrap of energy I can manage and maintaining Mindful Ink was simply not in the cards.  

    The problem with blogging, as the NY Times so poignantly pointed out, is it is intensely time consuming - if you want to blog about more than your cat, at least.  It’s work.  And it’s a lot of work.  I’m okay with that, but when you’re doing a solo job it means you have to do ALL the work.  And unfortunately, “all the work,” is simply not possible for me right now.  To do this job to my satisfaction means a certain level of quality and quantity that I simply couldn’t provide and I wasn’t interested in half-measures and hence the lack of any new content for some time.  However, an email I received today has changed my mind.

    So, here it is…   I’m looking to make Mindful Ink more of a community (something I always wanted to do anyway.)  I would like to see a team of writers here specializing in education, productivity, and technology - I’d be part of it too.  Think of it as a “Lifehacker” without all the money. :)  So, this is a call out for those of you who want to write a blog, and those of you who do - with a few of us this need not be a lot of work, and the quality of a whole will certainly improve.  Those of you who already write a successful blog, feel free to join up as well if you like - more voices the better.

    Mindful Ink does have some traction already, and we certainly have a body of work, and we already have some great friends in other bloggers - so if you want to get a start, this is a good place to do it.

    This will be a casual group; I’ll be playing editor (though someone who would be interested and has the skills for copy-editing would be wonderful), and would like one post a week at minimum from anyone involved (preferably 2-3).    I don’t require any pre-requisites or experience, but would like to see a writing sample which you can email or send a link to (please, no attachments.)  This sample should be written as a blog post of some length.  You may email me via the contact page.

    Let me be clear on what this sort of work entails.  As I said, split among many people, it isn’t particularly difficult but it still requires some time.

     

    • Reading lots and lots of news and blogs
    • Staying in tune with technology and education issues
    • Trying out new software
    • Maintaining an ethical standard (in Mindful Ink’s case that means no “pay for post” nonsense.  Free samples are acceptable, but that doesn’t buy a good review.)
    • Keeping in communication with the rest of the team (I’ll probably create a message board or something if this goes forward.)

     

    This idea, of course, relies on a certain critical mass of people - I’d say about three, at least.  I do have quite a bit of experience running a cooperating team of creative individuals working together and can certainly facilitate your skills.  I hope to hear from you soon.

    P.S. - I’ve been having some strange email issues as of late and have heard from many people that they emailed me and were not answered, if that is the case please contact me again and I’m very sorry for any inconvenience.  

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    ]]>     http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/04/15/a-change-writers-wanted/feed/     Not Dead http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/03/04/not-dead/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/03/04/not-dead/#comments Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:50:22 +0000 Gideon http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/03/04/not-dead/ Not dead everyone, just been a sickly couple of weeks.  I have about 5 half-written posts but just haven’t been able to finish any.  I’ll be fine, but the healing process isn’t a straight line and I’ve been pretty bad these past couple of weeks.  Hopefully we’ll see some more content soon.  If anyone interested [...] Not dead everyone, just been a sickly couple of weeks.  I have about 5 half-written posts but just haven’t been able to finish any.  I’ll be fine, but the healing process isn’t a straight line and I’ve been pretty bad these past couple of weeks.  Hopefully we’ll see some more content soon.  If anyone interested in helping me out with some guest posts, feel free to contact me.

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    ]]>     http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/03/04/not-dead/feed/     Religious Studies http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/02/21/religious-studies-2/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/02/21/religious-studies-2/#comments Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:51:18 +0000 Gideon http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/02/21/religious-studies-2/ First off… sorry things are a bit slow. I’ve been in the process of getting back into the swing of things here in the real world, and my energy afterwards is usually pretty limited. I’ve not vanished, just busy working at my internship, taking my senior capstone, cleaning up all the mess from [...] First off… sorry things are a bit slow. I’ve been in the process of getting back into the swing of things here in the real world, and my energy afterwards is usually pretty limited. I’ve not vanished, just busy working at my internship, taking my senior capstone, cleaning up all the mess from being sick, and preparing for a TA position next semester. Given a month ago I was barely off the couch, I’m afraid I’m barely up to the task. :) But it’s getting better.

    Secondly, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about what Religious Studies is, as people often think it is theology. Well…. it’s not theology, though I often study theology. Religious Studies isn’t quite comparative religion, either. Essentially, it is an interdisciplinary study of religion. For me it was a great fit because I am interested in many different subjects and interested enough in religion to go with it. I study sociology, history, philosophy, psychology, theology and politics. In particular, I generally focus on philosophy and psychology.

    Third, people have emailed about some of my rather… unfavorable references to such popular writers such as Sam Harris and the other “New Atheists.” These guys are very popular with the internet crowd and so I’ve gotten some rather unfavorable feedback due to it. So, let me clarify this… I study these guys as a part of “what’s going on today in religion” NOT because they have anything worth saying in an academic sense, just that people are listening and that is worth looking at. The arguments themselves are pretty much not worth paying attention to, because they offer nothing that hasn’t been said before by others (and better).

    Like there are good and bad religious writers (say “God in Search of Man” by Abraham Heschel or anything from the Left Behind series, respectively) there are good and bad atheistic writers. You want some good atheism read some Walter Kaufmann (one of my favorite books, actually - even though I agree with little of it) or Bertrand Russell, and leave Harris, Hitchens and Dawkins to their own subject matter (which isn’t religion, but rather Neuroscience, Journalism and Biology, respectively.)

    I say this more as a scholar than anything else. I study religion, and am thus very critical of both religionists and their detractors. But just like a good scientist knows better than to pretend “Intelligent Design” is good science, an academic knows better than to give these guys much in the way of respect. It’s the atheistic version of the “Celestine Prophecy” and that’s about it.

    Their central thesis, that religion is inherently bad, only works with the straw men they create. Religion is many things, but ultimately, it always comes down to being a reflection of the culture and time the practioner is in. And one need only look at the history of religion to find just how different one “religion” has actually been expressed over the eons. When religion is absent, something else that serves the same role steps in (one need only look at the USSR or China to see this. The party or the state usurps the role) as religion is a psycho-social construct from which we make sense of the world. Most often it may include some sort of transcendent reality, but it could also be political or psychological or even atheistic. Individuals may be able to be good secular humanists, but nothing in science or history would suggest that entire populations are capable of this. As such, religion is one of the greatest causes excuses of human evil in the world, but it also the greatest cause of good.

    Herbert Youtz, a good 100 years ago or so, put it this way:

    “The savage man has a savage God; the cruel man has a cruel God; the effeminate man has an effeminate God; while the good man lifts up holy hands to a God who rewards goodness.”
    -Herbert Youtz The American Journal of Theology: Vol. 11, No. 3 (Jul., 1907), pp. 428-453

    Net result? People suck. And thus so do the things they invest with meaning - whether that be politics or religion (both universal in man, and often the same thing) end up with both our compassion and our sadism, the call to be more than we are and the most base thrusts of our nature.

    Ironically, the greatest mistake these “New Atheists” make is they declare, much like fundamentalists of all varieties, that religion is only one thing and anything else is a sham - and both prop up the most virulent and vile forms of religion to be that one thing. They would let Pat Robertson and Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef be the speakers for all religion and ignore the Desmond Tutus and Martin Luther Kings. They would ignore all the billions of people of faith who are interested and willing to work towards those words of Isaiah:

    Learn to do what is right! Promote justice! Give the oppressed reason to celebrate! Take up the cause of the orphan! Defend the rights of the widow!

    So, yes… I enjoy my study of religion. And I respect both those who believe and those who don’t. Living in the “Buckle of the Bible Belt” in the US and being all too aware what kind of ignorance and evil religion can foster, I am very suspicious and critical of religion - but I’m not, as an individual or a scholar, willing to throw the baby out with the bath water. But I don’t like stupid or cruel or greedy wherever I see it.

    If you’ve any other questions, feel free to comment or email (unless you want to discuss Intelligent Design, I don’t want to spend any more time even thinking about that subject). I am keeping a “Academic Blog” that I drop stuff into from time to time - it doesn’t require as much work as this blog, so it is updated more often - feel free to look at it here: ReligiousStudy.Org.

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    ]]>     http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/02/21/religious-studies-2/feed/     At times…. http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/02/12/at-times/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/02/12/at-times/#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2008 04:00:37 +0000 Gideon http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/02/12/at-times/ I really wish I was some sort of programming guru.  Aside from how much easier my life would be at times, occasionally having a very good idea for a web product and not being able to do anything about it is maddening. Related PostNo Related Post I really wish I was some sort of programming guru.  Aside from how much easier my life would be at times, occasionally having a very good idea for a web product and not being able to do anything about it is maddening.

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    ]]>     http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/02/12/at-times/feed/     Recovering From a Fall, Part II http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/02/10/recovering-from-a-fall-part-ii/ http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/02/10/recovering-from-a-fall-part-ii/#comments Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:26:27 +0000 Gideon http://www.mindfulink.com/2008/02/10/recovering-from-a-fall-part-ii/ Perhaps this isn’t really Part II, but this would certainly be included in anything I would write on the subject. Also, I want to say that I really appreciate everyone’s supportive emails and comments.  The area around the topic is kind of a emotional lightning rod for me, however, so I’m sorry I wasn’t able to [...] Perhaps this isn’t really Part II, but this would certainly be included in anything I would write on the subject.

    Also, I want to say that I really appreciate everyone’s supportive emails and comments.  The area around the topic is kind of a emotional lightning rod for me, however, so I’m sorry I wasn’t able to address you all individually.  Also, I’ve not abandoned the topic I’m just still working it out and working on it slowly when I have the emotional energy to tackle it.

    Getting Things Done in Academia is a great site, by the way, and if you’re not reading it you should be.

    At the beginning of each semester, I have an invisible day on my calender. (I also have an invisible wombat named “Sparky”, but that’s neither here nor there). This invisible day will only make itself known when the alarm goes off. It will be a day when my body arises from bed with great reluctance, when my motivation level is set to “-11?, and when the accrued days of happy toil have left me empty. Not physically sick. Just empty.

    That is my mental health day.

    On mental health days I call in sick and send the appropriate short emails. Then I relax and make myself a cup of coffee. I read a magazine. I watch some Oprah.

    I allow myself one Mental Health Day a semester.

    As to the particular issue in the link, I find in my own experience that a balanced life is a very solid way to avoiding the hole I fell into.  It’s important to keep a “middle path” between work and relaxation.  And mental health days?  Absolutely necessary.  The rest of the world (hah) may use a Monday through Friday, 9-5 way of being but that doesn’t mean your body does.  And we all know what kind of things excessive stress can cause, so take these words to heart.

    3 ways to overcome life out of balance « Getting Things Done in Academia

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