Stuff I read

Milk anyone? nevver: Glass Half Pint

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:53:38 -0500

Milk anyone?

nevver:

Glass Half Pint

Terry Gilliam: The Vanity Fair Interview: Julian Sancton | Vanity Fair

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:41:59 -0500

Terry Gilliam: The Vanity Fair Interview: Julian Sancton | Vanity Fair:

Interesting piece about hopelessness juxtaposed with perfection:

If there is a God that governs the world of movies, Terry Gilliam is his Job. Nearly each of his fantastical projects—from his work with Monty Python to his latest film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus—has been an ordeal, a test of his faith and his resilience. Every film director has problems, but Gilliam’s are of a higher order.

(via Instapaper)

Yep yep. jasonpermenter: I remember the Dungeons & Dragons...

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 09:25:38 -0500

Yep yep.

jasonpermenter:

I remember the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Rules Set 1 set came with all the dice and a white crayon. You were meant to rub the crayon over each facet of each die to fill in the debossed numbers with wax, then wipe the excess off. I still have mine. I also remember being the happiest kid in the world.

Issues of focus

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:35:57 -0500

Issues of focus:

Very interesting stuff here from Communicatrix. Personal excavation through subtraction:

Focus. Eliminate. Focus. Pursue.

(via Instapaper)

You’re nobody till somebody hates you

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 14:16:28 -0500

You’re nobody till somebody hates you:

There are mirrors everywhere. Some of them are in darker, danker dressing rooms than you care to visit, but when you find yourself staring into one, you must still look at what is looking back at you and ask the question: What of this is the truth? And what must I do about it?

(via Instapaper)

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:56:45 -0500

““Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.””

- Leonardo da Vinci (via theimpossiblecool)

Southern lit meets Southern vittles | Table Talk

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:50:25 -0500

Southern lit meets Southern vittles | Table Talk:

How Southerners use food to express themselves:

We use food to mourn; we use it to celebrate. We even use it to commemorate. When we lose a friend or relative, we bake a casserole. At Christmas, we celebrate with that last jar of pickled peaches and a coconut cream pie. It’s a way to say “I love you” or “I’m sorry.” And it’s a way to remind ourselves that no matter how fast, modern or small the world becomes, there will always be cherry pie.

(via Instapaper)

5 Reasons To Dump Your Strict Budget | Frugal Dad

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:00:32 -0500

5 Reasons To Dump Your Strict Budget | Frugal Dad:

Ah budgeting, how you court my OCD. My beautiful wife shared this article about loosening the reins on the household budget while remaining in control. Sage advise:

Yes, budgets can set you up to succeed, or set you up to fail. Make them too strict, and you’ll never stay within a spending category’s limits. Have too many budget categories, and you’ll spend too much life energy hunting and recording receipts. Like everything in life, try to find some balance when setting up your budget, but err on the side of simplicity.

(via Instapaper)

I’m a pretty big Star Wars nerd, and I can’t believe...

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:22:13 -0500

I’m a pretty big Star Wars nerd, and I can’t believe I’ve never seen this photo before. I’m trying to figure out how to e-mail it to my 12-year-old self. I’ll be the coolest kid in the neighborhood!

merlin:

sharpless:

fuckyeahstarwars:

Carrie Fisher and her stunt double sun bathing on the set of Return of the Jedi

When Do Rich Kids Realize They're Rich?: Jamie Johnson | Vanity Fair

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:13:42 -0500

When Do Rich Kids Realize They're Rich?: Jamie Johnson | Vanity Fair:

When do children really begin to think the world is their oyster; I mean really taught the world is theirs to snatch?

A child of social position becomes accustomed early on to the expectation that people will purchase objects of desire. A young mentality gets shaped quickly in this way. Entertaining the possibility of owning a famous sports arena is not a common practice in average households. It is mainly the rich who think in such lavish terms. Determining the exact moment when the wellborn gain an awareness of their financial leverage could be an elusive task, but it definitely comes early in life, at least as early as age 6.

(via Instapaper)

When you want to step away from your Mac try...

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:39:22 -0500

These are such valuable shortcuts!

minimalmac:

mnmal:

Turn off the screen
Ctrl + Shift + eject

Put your Mac to sleep
Cmd + Alt + eject

Log out
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Q

Handy commands to remember for when you need to leave for a while, especially in a multi-user environment.

The Simple Dollar » 14 Ways a Notebook in Your Pocket Can Save You Money

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:49:16 -0500

The Simple Dollar » 14 Ways a Notebook in Your Pocket Can Save You Money:

I’m trying to improve my standards for “ubiquitous capture.” Hit the link for 14 reasons (among many others) why it’s a good idea:

Aside from the fact that I’m able to use the notebook to write down my ideas – my career’s bread and butter – a pocket notebook constantly comes in handy for many other financial reasons as well. (FYI, I usually just keep a simple small Mead reporter’s notebook in my pocket, along with a good pen that doesn’t run out of ink.) Here are fourteen ways I use that notebook to directly save money.

(via Instapaper)

don’t worry about being an artist. just worry about getting the work made. | Gapingvoid

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:54:35 -0500

don’t worry about being an artist. just worry about getting the work made. | Gapingvoid:

Hugh MacLeod digs up a great quote by composer Phillip Glass to emphasize you shouldn’t worry too much about what you’re working on, just get to work on it. Loving MacLeod these days…

“I have one secret. You get up early in the mor ning and you work all day. That’s the only secret.” —Composer Phillip Glass

turning down the volume… | Gapingvoid

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:28:43 -0500

turning down the volume… | Gapingvoid:

Hugh McLeod (author of Ignore Everybody which I just finished; great book) offers some incredible insight that most of us don’t want to hear. Unplug?! Are you crazy? Maybe not.

Recently I did something dra ma tic: I got rid of my Black berry, and I star ted lea ving my com pu ter at the office. So now I am without (GASP!) Inter net access 12 – 16 hours a day! The “Always-On Cul ture” had been fee ling oppres sive for a while now. Finally I deci ded to do something about it. Basta. The big gest bene fit so far is; I’m drawing a hell of a lot more. This is, after all, what I get paid to do, and what I’ll be remem be red for. Nobody will ever care how many Twitter follo wers I had or how SEO-optimized my blog was. The Inter net libe ra tes us from so much; it’s our duty not to become again ens la ved by something else.

Excerpt: Being a social butterfly | Unclutterer

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:01:56 -0400

Excerpt: Being a social butterfly | Unclutterer:

My how our lived change when we “Grow Up.” For instance:

“One of my biggest complaints about adulthood is that it’s difficult to simply hang out with friends. In high school, you could call up your friend and say, ‘Hey! A bunch of us are hanging out at Kara’s place. Stop by if you want to hang out.’ No one scheduled ‘hanging out’ on their calendar. No one knew at the start of the night what might transpire by the end of the night. And no one ever left at eight thirty, tapping at her watch, saying she had an early day tomorrow.

(via Instapaper)

kung fu grippe : Writing and Rejection.

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:58:25 -0400

kung fu grippe : Writing and Rejection.:

Merlin brings the writing wisdom back to the table. Again. Man, he’s good. A taste:

Writing is hard and it’s lonely and no one will feel an iota of sympathy for you one way or another. Keep it lively and fresh, and keep pouring glue on that chair. The offer for that column might be out there. Somewhere. But, it doesn’t matter one way or another.

Write for yourself, get good, and be a grownup. That’s step zero.

(via Instapaper)

If you haven’t been to songparts, get there. An example of...

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:23:08 -0400

If you haven’t been to songparts, get there. An example of their wares:

Can’t Hardly Wait

(Arena suprema with Jon Bon and “Livin’ on a Prayer”)

If we asked you what happened in these few seconds of superanthem, you’d likely say, “key change.” You would be correct. And if that’s all they did, it would be just like the dozens of other pop songs that use that classic trick to squeeze a few more drops of energy out of a chorus.

But did you hear the other thing? They’re SO EXCITED to play this song, and to KICK IT OUT, that they just skip a fucking beat. The last measure before the key change only has three beats. And in doing that, they’re shouting LET’S GO, PEOPLE, GET ON WITH IT, LET’S LIVE HARD.

So here’s JBJ’s (and our) advice to you: if you’re excited about something, sometimes it’s OK to skip a beat. Don’t wait for dessert to arrive before you propose to her. Get in the hot tub with your pants on. Retire at 54. Submit the short story before you get your MFA. Hit the streets of Madrid before you’ve read the guidebook. Tell your best joke first.

Price: $.25

Are we prejudiced against books just when we need them most?

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:36:11 -0400

Are we prejudiced against books just when we need them most?:

Steve Leveen, of Levenger fame http://www.levenger.com, reminds us there is a wealth of knowledge to be uncovered in books with real page and covers.

There is book learning and then there is real-world learning, and we tend to think that learning in the real world is more valuable and genuine. As Ishmael boasted in Moby-Dick, “A whale ship was my Yale college and my Harvard.”

But I believe this is prejudice of the worst kind. Even those of us who love books frequently underestimate their power to teach us nearly anything we might want, or need, to know.

(via Instapaper)

What a beautiful day in northwest Georgia! http://flic.kr/p/7azZ4s

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:16:32 -0400

What a beautiful day in northwest Georgia! http://flic.kr/p/7azZ4s

At Ikea, you eatta until you Bjursta. http://flic.kr/p/7ajABg

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:19:07 -0400

At Ikea, you eatta until you Bjursta. http://flic.kr/p/7ajABg