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Me

memememmememe and only me

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Happy Good Friday! Long weekends are always nice. I think I might pop back to Niagara for a few days, say hello to a few special people and then hop along on my merry way since I had such a lovely time last weekend. I’ve been sick these past couple of days. I even took Tuesday and Wednesday off because it hurt to talk. I’m starting to feel a tad better and I am hoping that by tomorrow I’ll be good to go.

I booked my vacation off for the end of this month. Its a much needed break to just STOP everything I am doing and do something else for a week. I’ll be heading to San Francisco with two of my best buddies from back in my engineering days, when I was a young pup eager to take on the world. By the way, for anybody living in Toronto flying anywhere in the United States, let me give you some advice. Fly out of Buffalo. Cheapest flight from Toronto to San Fran was $450. From Buffalo, only $219. Yes you read that right, less than half. Its crazy!!

Lately I’ve been going way too overdrive. I’ve been all give give give energy without replenishing any energy back and that is really not something to be sustained for long periods of time. Perhaps my body getting sick is trying to tell me something. That’s why the end of the month will be the start of a new beginning. First, I’m going to knock the GMAT out of the way. Its been nagging me for farrr too long. I’m ready. I’ve been putting in my time, and I will be peaking soon. Once that is out of the way, off I go to San Francisco. Simultaneously, as I’ve been planning my San Fran trip, I have also been planning a trip to Peru. It looks like we have dates set for mid August. I’ll be doing mostly outdoorsy stuff, like going on a 4 day hike on the Inca trail into the ancient city of Machu Picchu, as well as visiting some mountains and rain forests and the like. That trip will be mostly with my friends from Ottawa.

Once I return from my trip from San Fran, I plan to do a lot of reading.  I have so many books collecting dust on my book shelf and that is so unfortunate.  I also plan on starting P90X as soon as I get back and will continue to do it for the full 90 days.  Maybe I’ll tweet about my experiences with it.  This summer I also plan on doing some fun side projects that I am looking forward to learning and grinding through.  Mostly web related, mostly for fun.

Other news:  I switched hosting providers.  I’m with a better, more reputable, faster provider now so that is pretty awesome.  Also, I broke my phone.  I was trying to hack it with Android but failed miserably.  After I restored my phone back to Windows Mobile, it has a really rough time connecting to the network.  Lol whoops, my bad.  So I’m stuck with a tough choice right now.  Do I want to get a new phone, in which case I would probably want the Iphone or an Android phone (on my maybe list of things to do would be to develop a mobile app) or do I ax the phone altogether as part of my lifestyle experiments?  Its a tough choice, but if I was a betting man I would say I would get a phone.

Finally, I likely won’t be updating any more frequently this month then I have been.  Its just a crazy month, but an important one so I still need to keep my priorities aligned and stay focused.

Life

Getting feedback is important

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You ever have that feeling when you are so sure something is the way it is and no other option is possible? Have you ever been in a situation where you are absolutely certain that something happened, but end up being completely wrong? I’ve lost track of the number of times that has happened to me. I remember one time in particular, way back in high school. We were out at the park playing basketball and it was getting dark outside. We were playing basketball in the dark, (yeah I know, awesome) and I thought I had clearly seen my teammate hit the ball out of bounds. The other team claimed he hit it out of bounds, and I clearly saw him hit it out of bounds, and so I agreed with the other team. My teammate was very adamant that he did not touch the ball at all. Me and him got into this huge argument and we were yelling at each other a lot. Finally he just gave up and so we gave the other team possession. After the game, one of the players on the other team admitted that he knocked it out of bounds and that they cheated, and he didn’t say anything because he thought our fighting was hilarious.

That memory has since BURNED into my skull forever. I was dead wrong. And yet, I was absolutely certain I was right. Earth shattered, I apologized and from then on made myself more aware that sometimes, even if you think you are right, you could be wrong. But how would you know? Feedback is one way. Getting feedback helps you see things from a different light that you wouldn’t have otherwise seen or thought. Maybe you chew gum really grossly and sound like a camel, but are unaware because nobody has ever said anything to you about it. Or you smell funny, or have terrible breath. Wouldn’t you rather know sooner rather than later?

Some people are mean spirited about it, or are just on some crazy power trip. You can essentially ignore these people. Others, however, really do have valuable feedback to provide. The best people to receive feedback from I find are usually the people who have no interest, are neutral, or indifferent to what you do with that feedback. And just because you receive feedback doesn’t mean you have to listen to it. Sometimes it won’t work for you. The best way to find out if it does or not is to try it out. If it helps, then go for it. If it doesn’t, then stop.

The important thing to keep in mind about feedback is not to take it personal. Some people are way sensitive with feedback and that is detrimental. Getting defensive is not really productive in dealing with feedback, although it is a natural response for many people. Take the feedback, soak it in, and see it not as a personal attack but rather advice that may help you in the long run.

Geekery

Real simple syndication not so simple… Or is it?

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People have asked me how I manage to read so much in a day and share it so quickly. If I did what I did the conventional way, that is, go to each individual site, click on the article I wish to read, and then copy that article and link it through my favourite sharing sites that would pretty much be a full time job. If you follow my friendfeed, twitter, or just see my facebook updates you’ll notice that I can burn through things very quickly. I can rip through things fast not because I am a fast reader, but because I have the right tools. One thing that helps me is this magical thing called RSS – Really Simple Syndication (or something like that). Like all things web related, it can be a little confusing and not so simple at all. Let me break it down for you. Please note, I am not going into the technical details of RSS, only what it is and what it can do for you.

RSS is a standardized web format(s) that let’s publishers (like me) publish content to readers (like you) without the reader having to actually visit the site. It has the advantage for publishers to reach out to a wider audience and for readers because they can aggregate, or collect, all of their favourite RSS feeds into one place. Let’s use a real world example to illustrate:

I like to read blogs such as Lifehacker, Mashable, My Mom is a Fob, F My Life. Instead of going to each individual website hoping to see an update, I can subscribe to their feeds and use a feed reader to view them. This gives me the advantage in that I do not have to visit each site individually, and only have to use my feed reader (4 sites all gathered into 1 place, pretty sweet). It also has the advantage in that content will only be shown if it is new or if I haven’t read it. So, I don’t have to frequently check the site, instead when the site updates I’ll get the update automagically in my reader. Cool, right? The updates come to me, not the other way around. Pretty much all sites that update these days have a RSS feed, including mine. Just look for the RSS icon. Clicking on this icon will allow you to subscribe to the RSS feed.

Now you’ll have to find a RSS reader. RSS readers come in all shapes and sizes. You can have a web based reader, desktop reader, mobile reader for your phone, browser based reader, etc. I choose to use Google Reader, because Google is awesome and since I have a Google Account (who doesn’t nowadays?) it saves me from signing up for another service. Plus Google Reader is dead simple to use, flexible, and has good search capabilities. Now everytime I come across a site I like, if I wish to add it to my regular reading list I can simply subscribe to its feed by clicking on the RSS icon, choosing Google Reader as my reader of choice, and new updates show up. Now instead of going to a zillion different sites, I can just open up Google Reader and enjoy my reading in a nice, easy to follow format. You can organize your feeds and subscribe to feeds you are interested in reading instead of having to go through information you aren’t interested in a lot faster now.

On top of that, I now use a Firefox extension called Feedly that does something even better, it takes your Google Reader and digests all the information to make it really nice and easy to follow. Thanks to Feedly, I’m able to burn through things even faster than before. It also has a really AWESOME feature that let’s me easily share things as well. If I find a site I like all I have to do is click a button and that gets shared through Google Reader, which then propagates through to my twitter and friendfeed and on to Facebook.

If all of that is confusing for you, you could try a site like Alltop, which does a lot of the subscribing stuff for you. All you have to do is create an account, choose the topics you are interested in, and Alltop will do the rest. Its easier to do for beginners, but not as flexible. Worth a consideration if you just want to see if RSS is right for you. If you enjoy reading on the web, than I would say it is.

Me

cleaning off my plate.

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The past week has been an interesting one.  Lots of ups and downs and decisions that had to be made.  The weekend was great, I did a lot of rock climbing and went back to Niagara Falls to see some friends.  Climbing is getting good, there are more people that come out to climb with us now and some of them are already getting really good.  Its interesting to see these guys who have a natural gift at climbing and are already climbing better than I am, when I have put in so much time and effort to get to the level I’m at.  Its a really humbling experience, that is for sure.  If you’ve ever done any sport I’m sure you know what I am talking about, that one guy who just does things and makes it look effortless.  It can make some people jealous, but for me I just get motivated to try even harder.

Saw some friends for a birthday as well.  It was so good, to finally see some friends and not have to think about my life and just absorb into theirs.  We played poker and I won of course 😉  I really love poker, its such a fascinating game for me.  From an outsiders perspective it would seem like a game of luck (those are the guys you can beat the easiest, imo) but really there is so much strategy involved.  I wish I had the opportunity to play more often, perhaps in the summer I will give it a go.

Work has been great this past week.  Lots of interesting stuff going on and I learned quite a bit.  I convinced my coworkers to go rock climbing as a team building exercise next month, lol.  It should be fun.  Last month we went skiing up at Blue Mountain and that was pretty awesome, although we got lost in Coldwater, Ontario (I have no idea where that is) and ended up 2 hours late.  I woke up at 6 am just to get on the road by 7 am so we could get to Blue Mountain by 9:30, but ended up getting there at 11:30.  It was still a beautiful day to go skiing and I had a lot of fun.  I’m sure rock climbing will be interesting, and by the end of it I will have a bunch of tired out coworkers.

Yesterday I went to see my naturopath.  She is such an incredible person, and understands me so well.  She has an amazing way of putting things into perspective for me, really one of the few people who actually listens and understands where I am coming from.  I get the impression from her that the feeling is mutual, and its a relationship I am really happy to have.  Afterwards, I went to see "I Love You, Man " with one of my best mates, and movie buddy.  We are going to watch all the movies this summer, just like how we did it last summer.  Definitely looking forward to it.

Been playing email tag with a friend.  I was hoping to get a way for a week to recharge my batteries but we keep having scheduling conflicts.  No biggy, though, I am pretty sure it will work out in the end.  A battery recharge is something I could use right about now.  Things are looking good.  I should be able to get back to a healthy balanced schedule within the next month or two.  That’s the plan anyways.  Of course we all know plans never really go according to plan 😉

Geekery

Protecting your privacy online.

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Its out there.  Every photo you share, every status update you provide, every email you send.  Off it goes, into the cloud.  Somewhere, sitting on some hard drive, that information is stored forever.  How many of you actually read the terms of service when you sign up for a website or service?  I’m going to say not many.

I believe in a more open, a more connected world.  I think the way the internet is moving is a fun and exciting thing to be a part of.  I recommend social media to anybody who has a computer and an internet connection.  It has many, many advantages and can be a very enjoyable experience.  But be careful, the information you put out there can haunt you for the rest of your life, can come back to bite you, or be just plain embarrassing.

Your history on Twitter or Friendfeed, as an example, stays with you.  You can post whatever you want on there, but keep in mind that future business partners, or potential/current employees, or new clients can just as easily find this information as the next person with a keyboard.  All it takes is some googling and BAM, there you are.  Every site you visit, every site you sign up for or digg or stumble, you leave a trail.  Do you really want a potential employee to find that picture of you drunk out of your mind, passed out on a police cruiser on your Myspace page?

A read a blog post on Seth Godin‘s blog a while back on one of his friends looking for a nanny for her kids.  She had it down to three people and so decided to do what any responsible parent would do;  She went ahead and googled their names.  I don’t remember exactly what the results were, but if I recall it was something like this:  Applicant 1 had a criminal record, applicant 2 had a Myspace page showing some bad pictures you definitely don’t want employers to find, and applicant 3 had a blog discussing how she is doing jobs she hates and that are below her just to pay the bills.  Brutal guys, just brutal.  Be smart about what you do online.  Just because you are not face to face with someone and are behind a computer screen does not make you anonymous, does not make it ok to act like a dummy.  Common sense still applies in the online world.

Sites like Twitter and Friendfeed encourage you to seek out strangers sharing similar interests.  Most of the people you decide to follow on those sites you don’t know, and probably will never meet.  That might make you think that its ok to write and do whatever the heck you please, but you would be dead wrong.  And then there is Facebook.  Facebook is more of a closed community in which you more or less know the people in your friends list.  They have just recently opened up the profiles so that anybody can be friends with anybody else and of course Facebook profiles can be searchable through Google.  This is really important to keep in mind.  You really should pay attention to your privacy settings on Facebook, allowing who gets to see what.  But its YOUR responsibility to make sure your friends don’t kick your butt, either.  See, your friends know the nitty gritty, darker, not safe for work, not safe for the world to see part of you.  All it takes is one slip up from your friend to ruin your reputation online or otherwise.

“Remember that time we went to Vegas and you did <insert bad thing not to be discussed over the internet>…” can seriously ruin a person if posted on a wall or tweeted.  Those pictures in your friends photo album that you are tagged in, in which you are doing something really silly, do you really want his 500 friends to see?  If his profile is open, googleable (is that a word?) and in the public, do you really want the world to see?  Probably not.  Your friends don’t know any better.  Take it upon yourself to ensure that they do.  Its your reputation on the line.  At worst, it could cost you your job, or that contract, or that potential relationship, etc.  Be smart and have fun, but be conscious of the actions you do that may affect you and those close to you.

Geekery

I’m having an affair…

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I love my current relationship, I really do.  We’ve been with each other for years now.  She’s been great.  I remember when I first met her, so many moons ago.  I was in a dissatisfied relationship at the time.  It was rocky, it was boring.  We’d fight all the time, and I just wasn’t happy with the situation at all.  Then she came along.  She was a fox.  A breath of fresh air, hot like fire, easy on the eyes.  I took a liking to her instantly, and together we built something beautiful.

Sure, it wasn’t perfect.  She had her spats every now and again.  Sometimes, I wanted to try things she wasn’t into it and didn’t like.  Maybe she thought I was changing her into something she didn’t want to be.  But all of my intentions were good.  They always have been.  But overall, we agreed far more times then we disagreed, worked together wonderfully, and so I was happy.  Much better than before.  Things were going so well, and I was settling into something I thought would be for the rest of my life.  Despite the fact that she was getting a little … I don’t know what the word would be to describe her without sounding like a jerk.. I guess you could say “bloated”, I still care for her so much.

But then, a new kid on the block came along.  And boy oh boy is she ever sexy.  Smooth, sleek, gorgeous.  A temptress she is, and I just couldn’t resist.  I had to try her out.  At first, I had my reservations.  She was good, so good, but I just love my fox so much.  I told myself, it was a mistake, convinced myself that I was already committed and so I shut the temptress down.  It was hard to do, and I was so proud of myself.

And then she came back, sexier than ever.  My lord, so light, so fast.  Google Chrome, you are so so incredible.  And yes, I am cheating.   Cheating so much on my beloved Firefox.  But I cannot help it.  I cannot resist Chrome’s wonderful features.  I cannot resist her speed.  Oh lord, her speed drives me crazy!  Makes me so happy.  So so happy.  I don’t want to leave my precious Firefox, but Chrome is just so wonderful.  Sigh, I’m torn.  So torn between something that has been so great to me, with something that may treat me even better.

Note:  Yes, I really do need to go out more.

Life

Be Your Own Guru

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“Don’t get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water.  Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot.  Water can flow or it can crash.  Be water, my friend.” – Bruce Lee

Do you know why Bruce Lee was the man?  Besides the fact that he was charismatic, athletic, kicked butt, good looking, rich, famous, smart, funny, incredible shape, …. um ok that’s a lot of besides.  But there was one thing that I really admire about him; He was his own guru.  Sure he had teachers, like Ip Man (seriously, watch this movie!!! Some of the best fight scenes I’ve seen in a long time), but Bruce was formless.  He redefined martial arts.  He took what he needed from various disciplines and styles and created one all his own.  Isn’t that awesome?

And that’s what mixed martial artists have done.  You look at a guy like Georges St. Pierre, and he’s an animal.  He holds his own against Canadian Olympic wrestlers, and professional boxers, and BJJ world champions.  He takes what he can from various disciplines and has turned himself into an ultimate fighting machine.

This idea applies to all aspects of you life.  To become rich, you don’t have to listen to only Warren Buffet.  There are plenty of ways to get rich.  To become fit, you don’t have to follow the advice of only crossfit, or professional bodybuilders, or whatever else.  Same with what you eat, same with what you do, same with who you date, etc etc.  Take what is useful, discard the rest, and create something unique all your own.  That’s what being your own guru is all about.  Following one school of thought too closely is hazardous to your health.  That’s how cults are formed.  That’s how religions are formed. oooooo, not going there.  ANYWAYS, moving on.

Be wary of people freely giving advice (myself included).  It doesn’t mean they are right (myself included).  It’s only opinion, and experiences from their own life that, although may work for them, may not work for you.  Don’t get sucked into “Getting Things Done” and thinking that’s exactly how things should be done to be considered productive.  Don’t get stuck into the belief that you have to work only a “4 Hour Workweek” to be happy.  It could be myth.  It may not be cause and effect.  Self help gurus and life coaches and fitness trainers and fashion advisors and investment advisors and so on and so forth, you really have to question if their quality of life is really that much better than your own.  Its important to have teachers and its important to have mentors, but in the end nobody really understands you and your situation as much as you do.