Commonplace
There are some days I just can't just any reading done. Usually, these are the days when I've committed myself to reading something that I'm about a third of the way through, but I just can't concentrate and bring myself to pick up the damn book long enough to get anywhere. Or I end up staring through the same page for about 15 minutes. I used to feel bad about this, and force myself, as...
Ranking Chatter
In conversation there are a few different kinds of things people can talk about. Ranking them from least useful (and most annoying) to more constructive: 1. Gossip about celebrities.2. Gossip about other people.3. Expounding on bad things from the past.4. Expounding on bad things in the present.5. Dwelling on anxiety about the future.6. Discussing the past as it applies to the present.7. Discussing the past as it applies to the future.8. Discussing the present as...
Neutrality
Someone asked Jimmy Wales about the neutrality of any given Wikipedia article. Historically, neutrality is a loaded term that has been debated about at length, as a philosophical concept. What makes an idea neutral? Can an idea be neutral, given that any thought or idea is invariably born of at least (or at most) one human mind? Wales was dismissive of the question, saying that philosophical debates really didn't interest him. He went on further...
Clones (We're Not All)
In the movie Being John Malkovich, the actor from the film's title enters a portal into his own head. As a result, Malkovich ends up in a fantastical world where every man, woman, and child has his head, and the only thing anyone can say is "Malkovich" over and over again. As funny or horrifying as this is, I know lots of people who seem to think that the world could be made a better...
Eat the Rich
I was at a conference down in LA about a month ago. The presenters were a panel of researchers who study the effects of socialization on the human brain. They talked at length about a neurotransmitter called oxytocin. In short, it's a "feel good" chemical that gets released into our brains when we interact with others. And this includes interacting through social media. Posting a blog, a Facebook status update, or a Tweet releases oxytocin...
While You Were Texting
A small handful of US States (not as many as you might expect) have banned the use of handheld cell phones and mobile devices while driving. In California, this happened two years ago, after a train engineer caused an accident when he was texting while operating a train. I'm not sure what the statistics are, but this seems like a problem that might crop up more among the younger generations. I've seen a few people...
The Child-like Google
Google is an amazing thing. It's something that I still take for granted on a day-to-day basis, but occasionally, I remember being in high school, very out of touch with pop culture, with a mind full of questions that I couldn't find easy answers to. What can you do with the C programming language? How do you get better at product photography? Not sure. I have to go to the library and find the right...
Told You So
On the long list of ineffective persuasion techniques is telling someone "I told you so", after someone else realizes there were incorrect. It takes several forms, many of which are quite subtle, and it's possible to say it without knowing you're saying it. If your aim is to tell the person they were wrong, then you're being redundant. More than likely, the person already knows they're wrong, so it's just insult on top of injury....
Of Course It's Possible
My girlfriend shared an interesting story with me about the lead programmer of the company she works for. People will go to him with the question: "Is it possible to do [insert feature here]." His response is always the same: "Anything is possible. But how much are you willing to pay for it?" When people say things aren't possible, usually what they mean is: given the resources available to me and the timeline, it's not...
Faster Horses
The crowdfunding site Kickstarter is a place where you present a product or art project idea to the community, and ask them for the money to help make your idea a reality. If enough people decide to support you, and you raise enough money, then you get to produce your idea. Kickstarter has enjoyed tremendous success in its short lifespan, and it has inspired hundreds of knockoffs all trying to use the same model in...