S.T.O.P.: Advice for Living Well
Mon 15 Oct 2007 – 9.39
Apparently I’ve stumbled onto some sort of self-motivational website called Today Is That Day. Without freaking myself out too much by reading the entire archives, I am sharing a post that turned up on Digg, and generally seems valid.
S.T.O.P. is a quick-and-dirty philosophy for Enjoying Your Life. It stands for Stop, Take Action, Organise, and Participate. Want more details? Check out the post for yourself.
posted by Scott in life.
The Vanishing American Vacation
Wed 19 Sep 2007 – 11.52
Now that Summer is over, I can adequately reflect on the fact that I truly need a vacation. I didn’t get to go away this summer, save for that weekend in Toronto (which was mostly spend on the bus), and apparently I’m not the only.
Compared to people in other developed countries, Americans don’t ask for more vacation time, don’t take all the vacation time their employers give them and continue to work while they are on vacation.
Says Don Monkerud of AlterNet. Check out the article for more of the bad news.
So are you, the young professional, falling into this same trap that has already claimed out parents? I surely hope not. As for me, well, I plan on taking the entire month of December off.
posted by Scott in careers, life.
Wed 12 Sep 2007 – 8.11
Aside from playing Tennis, that is.
From DIY Life, which by the way is a really cool blog, comes 17 usefull around-the-house uses for tennis balls. As you might expect, they all center on the rubbery nature of the balls, which are unique in sports. I’d go so far as to say that it is the most common use of rubber that most people can think of — except perhaps shoe soles, and of course tires. But you wouldn’t use either of those for fixing things in the home. Here’s a novel example:
8. Secret storage - Looking for a place to stash that million dollar microchip while you’re at the gym? Slit a tennis ball and stick it inside! Works for anything that’s valuable (or not) and small enough to stick inside a tennis ball via a tiny slit.
•• List Here »
posted by Scott in life.
18 Overlooked Things to Bring to College
Mon 10 Sep 2007 – 20.42
The same list applies to first apartments, really, but yes, you should read this and remember it. Luckily, I had an older sister who warned me about some of these, and me being a geek filled in the rest. Here’s one that’s commonly overlooked:
9. Stapler - There will be countless times that you will find yourself needing a stapler. If you think you are going to go through college without ever writing a paper that is more than one page long, then you may be in for a rude awakening.
On a food note, you can never have enough milk or eggs. The ultra-perishables are like gold in a dorm environment, especially on those Saturday afternoons when last night’s party leads to today’s craving for pancakes.
So for all the 18-year-olds reading this blog, now you know.
posted by Scott in education, life.
Tue 28 Aug 2007 – 16.01
I’ve been thinking about happiness lately, and what my answer would be to that profound questions ‘are you happy?’. Turns out a recent AP article covered the same topic for folks in our same age bracket. The answer is not sex, drugs and rock+roll, but rather family.
Spending time with family was the top answer to that open-ended question, according to an extensive survey … Next was spending time with friends, followed by time with a significant other. Nearly three-quarters of young people say their relationship with their parents makes them happy.
Good news for parents, especially those who might find this blog a mite depressing at times. We love you.
posted by Scott in life.
Tue 31 Jul 2007 – 11.55
Summer is supposed to be the time when people relax. We take days off, we go to the beach, we drink lemonade on people’s back porch and talk about nothing.
Um, yea. Not quite.
posted by Scott in careers, life.
How to give a speech like Lincoln
Mon 30 Jul 2007 – 10.09
While some might argue that everyone in the 19th century was a better wordsmith and aurator than the current day knuckleheads, I for one think that Abe Lincoln was one of the more brilliant speakers and writers of his age.
From Lifehacker comes tips on how to emulate him, and how to give a speech that is sure to be remembered. I suppose the same is true for blog posts. But one of the tips is “revise, revise, revise”, which I never do while blogging. Oops.
posted by Scott in life.
Tue 24 Jul 2007 – 15.43
Not exactly the 12 Uses of Dragon’s Blood, but here is a cool list of household tips that will make that can of WD-40 ever so useful. Here’s my favourite:
15. Have a nasty piece of gum on your favorite shoes? WD-40 will clean it right off.
posted by Scott in life.
34 Uses for Soda, other than drinking
Sat 21 Jul 2007 – 12.15
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of The Bachelor Guy, a blog for the blokiest of blokes. But this is a useful list of ways to use soda, mainly coke, around the house, the garage, and other places you wouldn’t think of. Here’s one I like:
17. Kill Slugs and Snails. If these pests are invading your lawn and garden, pour a little Coke into shallow dishes or jar lids and spread them throughout your yard. The sugar attracts them, and, just like you remember from when you were a kid, the acid kills them.
•• List Here »
posted by Scott in health & fitness, life.
10 Ways To Avoid a Speeding Ticket
Mon 25 Jun 2007 – 10.10
From AOL Motors comes a list of tactics that might help avoid that speeding ticket. I’ll add one to the list: don’t speed.
•• List Here »
posted by Scott in life.