Whenever I reach for the tin of family recipes, I think of the relationship of food and family. Each culture has a unique cuisine, and families are no different.
Why do we eat green bean casserole? Because it’s good or nutritious? No. We eat green bean casserole to honor our grandmother who fed three children, a husband and herself on a shoestring budget.
We prepare pierogie from scratch to remind us of our family’s origins in Poland.
When far-flung families are reunited, these are the dishes they prepare. When the childen are brought to the stove for the first time, this what they learn to cook.
This is where we come from. This is who we honor. This is why we all have a tin of recipes in a cabinet.
Passages from the short list for this year’s Literary Review’s2009 bad sex in fiction award. Don’t miss “A Dead Hand: A Crime in Calcutta” by Paul Theroux.
Today there just happens to be home video of the moment the balloon “got away.” Note that there’s no little boy anywhere. Also, check out the balloon. There is no way for a person to get inside. It’s completely sealed. Dad knew this since he designed and built it.
In other words, he knew all along that it was impossible for his son to be inside.
Unless you start your day with a Ritalin smoothie, forget GTD. Here are the three simple things I’ve done to send my productivity through the roof. Zero hours of pre-requisite reading required.
Each evening, write down (on paper) the 3 tasks that must be completed on the following day.
Wake up 90 minutes earlier than usual and start on task #1. Typically I can finish it in that time.
Check email at 9:00 AM, then leave it alone until 2:00 PM. NO Twitter before 2:00.
For the past two weeks, I’ve been completing my three mandatory tasks by 3:00. It feels great.
There’s a great post at LifeDev today, “6 Things I Do to Stay Creative.” I recommend reading the whole thing, so I’m just going to focus on item number one for now, “Find inner peace before starting tasks.”
I’ve got one of those minds that’s like a manic gerbil in a wheel. I also tend to get overwhelmed with stress. Recently, I started listening to “8 Minute Power Meditation” by David Harshada Wagner [iTunes link] before beginning the task(s) of a large project and it’s worked wonderfully. I approach the table feeling confident, positive and enthused. Glen at LifeDev says, “…with an empty mind, I find it much easier to produce some creative output.”
Q: How many Berklee students does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: 10. One to change it, 9 to say, “You’re doing it wrong.”
Joshua Blankenship is right when he says, “…will everyone just STOP thinking they have the market cornered on how I’m supposed to use the web? You don’t.”
Whether your goal is to make per-click dollars or produce ad-free, killer content, you’re right. Define what you want to do, how you’re going to do it and then do the best job possible. That’s the only real rule.
Lately I’ve been thinking about my writing style vs. my own personality. I’ve found myself slipping into a “writing voice” on the blog sometimes, which is a bit troublesome. Proper grammar is one thing, trying to sound like someone other than me something else.
Earlier today, I was browsing Jorge Quinteros’ blog, and he had published a post on his blog’s personality. Specifically, a tool called Typealyzer that “…calculates your Myers-Briggs Type Indicator based on the content of your blog.” With flashbacks to my freshman psychology classes, here’s what it said about me:
The Doers
The active and playful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities.
The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.
