Is there anything larger than a venti coffee?
Field notes
Is there anything larger than a venti coffee?
Category: field notes
Quote: Productivity and self-control
Very often when we talk about the skill of ‘productivity’ what we are really talking about is ‘self-control.’
James Shelley (via the 99%)
It appears I am only traveling as the sun rises for the sun sets either way it is a beautiful autumn drive
Last okra blossom of the year
Field notes
Yes, for a moment I was seriously thinking about having supper at Dunkin Donuts.
Attitude + altitude = #avl
‘Unresponsiveness reflects badly on a brand’
It’s a good time to strengthen my personal brand. Here’s a good, timeless tip:
“The fundamentals of making a name for yourself and standing apart from the competition are simple and, one would assume, basic common sense. So it comes as no surprise that one of the biggest, all-time, don’t-even-go-there no-nos of business branding is…being unresponsive.”
(via beneath the brand)
“Japanese breakthrough will make wind power cheaper than nuclear”
Japanese breakthrough will make wind power cheaper than nuclear
A surprising aerodynamic innovation in wind turbine design called the ‘wind lens’ could triple the output of a typical wind turbine, making it less costly than nuclear power.Great news! But keep in mind, this is still just a render. IT’S NOT ACTUALLY IN PRODUCTION, which means it’s hard to make those kinds of statements. I can make a model say whatever I want, it doesn’t mean the system can actually produce that. The last thing our industry needs is more unfulfilled promises. Just look at the $500 million mistake of Solyndra…
So the morning commute starts a bit early
Fog burning off as the sun rises
Blog Breakdown
Cartoon of the Day. Don’t forget to enter this week’s caption contest.
(Source: http://www.newyorker.com/humor/caption/)
The Law of the Camp Fire
‘Remember well the outdoor smoking circle’
The lost art of gathering business narratives.
“Today, if I were looking for content for the intranet or the Web, I’d be asking myself every time one of those smokers told a story, ‘Is this a video? Is this a blog post? Is there an infographic in there?’”
(via flack me)
Can the Middle Class Be Saved?
The Great Recession has accelerated the hollowing-out of the American middle class. And it has illuminated the widening divide between most of America and the super-rich. Both developments herald grave consequences. Here is how we can bridge the gap between us.
Read our September cover story at The Atlantic
(Source: http://theatlantic.com/magazine)
5 Ways to Revamp Your Resume
1. Remove Dates from Your Education
2. Focus on Recent Relevant Experience
3. Focus on New Technologies
4. Get Online and Get Connected
5. Give Your Resume a Personal Voice
(via monster)
4 things to do if you just lost your job
When I received the notice from the CEO that the office was closing for business and the entire staff would be out of work, I was devastated. But there are a lot of resources available to help cope with that stressful situation. Here’s a few tips if you just got laid off:
- Network in unlikely places.
- Evaluate your financial planner.
- Get out of the house and look ready to be hired.
- Exercise.
(via msnbc, ‘10 things to do if you have just lost your job’)
Following the theme of consequences, here’s an interesting long read titled, “The Real Story of Globalization.” Here are some highlights:
“Earthworms… especially the common nightcrawler and the red marsh worm… did not exist in North America before 1492.”
“English ships tied up to Virginia docks and took in barrels of rolled-up tobacco leaves… Sailors balanced out the weight by leaving behind their ships’ ballast: stones, gravel and soil. They swapped English dirt for Virginia tobacco.”
“That dirt very likely contained the common nightcrawler and the red marsh worm… Before Europeans arrived, the upper Midwest, New England and all of Canada had no earthworms—they had been wiped out in the last Ice Age.”
“In worm-free woodlands, leaves pile up in drifts on the forest floor… When earthworms arrive, they quickly consume the leaf litter, packing the nutrients deep in the soil in the form of castings (worm excrement). Suddenly, the plants can no longer feed themselves; their fine, surface-level root systems are in the wrong place. Wild sarsaparilla, wild oats, Solomon’s seal and a host of understory plants die off; grass-like species such as Pennsylvania sedge take over. Sugar maples almost stop growing, and ash seedlings start to thrive.”
(via wsj)
Link: Globalization circa 1571 and brought to you by earthworms
Apparently it’s easier to stop smoking…
… than it is to quit social media. Or at least it’s on the same level of unhealthiness.
So, given the choice between social media and cigarettes… um… pass me the cigarettes and lighter please.
I saw a man with a knife at a bus stop
This morning while waiting for a bus, I saw a man reach in his pocket, pull out a knife and slit open a stamped envelope. He carefully opened a three page, handwritten letter and slowly began to read. To avoid being any more a voyeur, I focused my attention elsewhere for the next twenty minutes until the bus arrived. As we boarded, I caught two words on the last page of the letter. Soon we were swallowed by the bus and deposited at our separate destinations.
The man, his knife and letter disappeared, but a thought remained and also a question, who still writes handwritten letters? The thought of a handwritten letter in a stamped envelope haunts me as I reflect on how smartphone usage, social media sites, and the endless barrage of emails has changed my thinking and in some regards my behavior (not to mention how my spelling and grammar have increasingly deteriorated).
Consider how much of emails, social media updates and smartphone use is not actionable (to use a David Allen GTD expression). Consider how to eliminate access data assault and focus on learning through connections the way many geniuses and polyglots learn. And unless these thoughts have actions they are but vain ponderings. So, beginning September 1, I plan to focus on the essence of handwritten letters: communication and connection. This means I will not access social media sites (apologies in advance if I have begun a conversation through Facebook or Twitter), and only post updates using my Tumblr and WordPress accounts (and maybe I’ll decide on one of those platforms as the best one for communication and connection). This is an experiment. I’m not retreating to a monastery hidden somewhere near Mount Athos (though, I must confess, I do find that an attractive idea). So we’ll see what happens. And maybe I’ll start writing handwritten letters.
Field notes
Just realized… it has been two weeks since I drank a cup of coffee. How have I survived?
Confession
Confession: My social media habits have been somewhat existential these past few weeks. Not because of a sense of self-importance, but due in part to allocating time and resources to non-online activities. In other words, I post content, but infrequently return to see if someone has commented or ‘liked’ something I post. I know in the social media world this is considered ‘unsocial’ behavior. It is not my intent to be unfriendly. Sometimes I just need some space and time away from technological and social media to avoid overload.
Field notes
How can I work with a dance party going on outside the office. Might as well join in, right?
Coffeehouse Junkie 