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Taken during our honeymoon in Madeira, Portugal… It was incredibly windy that afternoon but the clouds were perfect for some “dramatic” shots… I managed to snap this one. :)

Giving it Away: How Free Music Makes More Than Sense →

derekwebb:

(…) I actually prefer illegal downloading over Spotify because when you get music illegally it’s at least implicit in the transaction that what you’re doing is potentially harmful to the artist. But with Spotify, your conscience is clear because you’re either enduring ads or paying to use the service and access the music. But from the blue-collar artist’s perspective, they’re not receiving any meaningful payment (there’s little discernible difference between $0.00029 and $0.00) and they are learning nothing about their fans, not to mention that music readily available on Spotify for little to no payment completely poaches the record sales upon which middle-class musicians are depending for survival (which is why I will withhold any new releases from Spotify in the future).

Couldn’t agree more…

choochoobear:

Here’s a link to the original - always give credit where it’s due.

http://www.docpop.org/2009/11/the-greatest-halloween-costume-ever/

rosalarian:

translunar:

equivoque:

goulcher:

best trick or treat ever?

This is what brilliance looks like.

Someday before I die I need to do this.

Why is the internet so good tonight?

Maniacal Rage: Gowalla 4 and Loss of Personal Milestone Data →

maniacalrage:

I take for granted often how fleeting these services are. Whether they go out of business, get acquired, or simply change their feature set, any service you trust to hold your data is possibly temporary. The only real way to secure future access to your important moments is to keep them yourself, or at least back them up in a way you’ll be able to continue accessing.

What he said.

viafrank:

Top: Boston.com, free access.
Bottom: BostonGlobe.com’s redesign. Pay-for-access, $4 a week.

I’m having a super tough time choosing here, guys.

The OCD Chef Cutting Board →

cameronmoll:

“Terrific for persnickety perfectionists.”

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whatkaythinkstoday:

So much fun!

AWESOME… unless you’re claustrophobic! :p

New Year’s Resolutions Are Worthless

New year’s resolutions are worthless. Unless you lay out the plan for achieving your goals, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment and frustration.

Truth is, setting up a solid plan for achieving your goals is not easy. I know that… very well. One of the main reasons that compelled me to write this was having that exact problem. Every year, I use this “socially acceptable season” to think about goals for the next year. Every year, I commit to a few things. I dubbed 2010 Operation: Action (following a weak attempt at Operation: Focus in 2009). How much did I get done? Not much other than stress about not achieving those goals.

So don’t just set goals: make plans.

Incorrect: “In 2011 I want to lose 15 pounds.”
Still incorrect: “In 2011, I’ll sign up for a gym membership so I can lose 15 pounds.”
Correct: “In 2011, I’ll sign up for a gym membership and work out at least twice a week, no exceptions, so I can lose 15 pounds as soon as possible.”

Incorrect: “In 2011 I will redesign my site.”
Still incorrect: “In 2011, I’ll buy a book about design so I can learn how to redesign my site.”
Correct: “In 2011, I’ll buy a book about design, and spend at least 6h a week redesigning my site, learning along the way.”

Incorrect: “In 2011, I will learn Ruby on Rails.”
Still incorrect: “In 2011, I’ll subscribe to Railscasts/Peepcode/whatever and learn Ruby on Rails.”
Correct: “In 2011, I’ll commit to spending at least 10 hours per week working on an idea I’ve had about a web application, using Ruby on Rails, watching screencasts and reading books along the way.”

On all these examples, I could’ve set a deadline. On all of them, deadlines wouldn’t make a difference if you’re struggling with getting things done. Focus on delineating a daily/weekly plan of how you intend to achieve those goals. If you stick to that plan, reasonably factoring normal life unexpected situations, you will achieve your goals in reasonable time, you’ll have a blast learning new things and you’ll feel overall more motivated and happy.

In conclusion, I’m writing this primarily to myself. I need to get away from New Year Resolutions and focus on monthly reviews of my goals and plans of how to achieve them, and I think you should do the same. Besides, any day is a good “resolution’s day”. Just set/plan and then review/iterate.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Feel free to reply on Twitter or comment on this Hacker News thread. Upvotes/retweets are always welcome… ;)

Oh, and happy New Year everyone. :)

"Sketchbooks are not about being a good artist, they’re about being a good thinker."

Jason Santa Maria (via mmarfil)

(Source: )

The Pursuit of Education

Over. Done. Finito. My first semester back to school has ended today after taking my last final.
I can’t really express the kind of feelings that going back to school have given me: frustration, anger, excitement and enlightenment are just a few that come to mind.

There’s a lot wrong with the current institutional educational model. Promoting instructor satisfaction over discussion and intellectual argument promotes intellectual laziness. Students go through pain and stress to satisfy the teacher and get a good grade. Attendees (what I’ll call “students” that are not really motivated by school, both lazy or smart) become frustrated and give up. A huge, foundational reform to the education system is urgently needed.

Well, the way I dealt with going back to school after 10 years was to take the most of it by focusing in class, soaking every bit of knowledge and wisdom from the instructor, and promoting discussion and participation by setting an example whenever I get a chance (which most instructors appreciate it if done sensibly). But I never forced myself into doing something I can’t do well: memorization. Studying, for me, is done in class, while reading the material and having concepts and considerations pop up; not by attempting to memorize all concepts. Whatever I can get that way, sticks with me lifelong. Memorization is temporary and usually gone after a few hours or days. I’m back to school for lifelong learning. My grades may not be the greatest but I’m happy with them and glad to see some instructors focus on that a bit more than 10 years ago (and not the youngest ones, actually).

All in all, I’m glad to be back in school. Full-time student along with full-time job while trying to kickoff an entrepreneurial career is not easy but pays off every time you learn something new that can be put to work in understanding other people or yourself better and better. It has, so far, solidified my desire to take on my unique abilities and put them to good use, maximizing my talents and acquired skills.

Can’t wait for the Spring semester. :)