tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242237432024-03-13T16:05:26.130-04:00Cranial SoupPeas, carrots, green beans, and gray matter.Apphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04973805741360160102noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24223743.post-3593587560316613982008-07-17T13:10:00.005-04:002008-12-11T02:24:11.602-05:00Procrastinators: Beware of magical mops<img style="margin: 25px 10px 5px 0pt; float: left;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qlCAUZtia6Q/SH-F2nN53uI/AAAAAAAAAXI/mksQ_byyq2Y/s400/magical+mop.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224041266059796194" border="0" /><br />Some of what makes anti-procrastination tools work, is their novelty. Once that novelty wears off, you are right back where you started, procrastinating again.<br /><br />A hypothetical example:<br /><br />Let's say I hate mopping my floor and I always procrastinate about doing it. Then I see an ad on TV for a wonder mop, with a handle that twinkles when you push it. You stop pushing, it stops twinkling. You push it faster, it twinkles more. And even more amazing, is that it also sings! I order this mop, because it seems like it could make mopping fun.<br /><br />So the mop arrives, and I can't wait to get it out of it's packaging and try it. I fill my bucket with soapy water and begin mopping. The singing & twinkling is pretty cool, and before I know it, the whole floor is clean. Great! Wonderful! Terriffic! It's working. I didn't procrastinate and I got the job done.<br /><br />I like this mop so much, I am having no problem mopping my floor and keeping it clean. I am not even procrastinating about it any more. This is the best mop ever! It's like magic!<br /><br />But a few months later, after the novelty of the twinkling & singing mop begins to wear off, I find myself beginning to procrastinate about mopping the floor again. What happened? This was supposed to be the best mop ever. What went wrong?<br /><br />Nothing went wrong. I just had an unrealistic expectation that some wonder tool was going to make me like doing a task I hate.<br /><br />The truth is that nothing can make me like mopping floors, not even a magical, singing, twinkling wonder mop.<br /><br />So if you try an anti-procrastination tool and it works for awhile, but then stops working...the problem isn't the tool. It's you and how you feel about the task...your real feelings.<br /><br />Instead of looking for a new tool to trick yourself into thinking that you like what you hate, work on the real problem: the task itself, how you feel about it, and why.<br /><br />If you can be honest with yourself, you can begin to look for a real solution instead of tricks. If you fix the root problem, you won't need a singing, twinkling mop to get things done.Apphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04973805741360160102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24223743.post-25540746782581379202008-07-05T11:30:00.010-04:002008-12-11T02:24:12.763-05:00Freedom Sandwich<img style="margin: 20px 10px 10px 0pt; float: left;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qlCAUZtia6Q/SG-cHMTvCCI/AAAAAAAAAWo/h27PGsyrRyc/s400/liberty.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219562140522711074" border="0" /><br />Yesterday, on the anniversary of America's indepencence, I wanted to write a piece on freedom, but kind of got stuck.<br /><br />At first I wanted to write about the countries that still are not free, like China, where bloggers are now resorting to <a href="http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB121493163092919829-b_PctCCtBc8gRRAFxiXjVld6hJY_20090702.html">writing backwards</a> in order to beat censorship and report about what is really going on behind the Great Firewall.<br /><br />Or perhaps focusing on <a href="http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=363&year=2008">who is and isn't totally free</a> yet.<br /><br />Then thinking about the US, the myth of freedom here, and the reality that we aren't totally free as some may believe, maybe focusing on why we are not free, as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F0742562905&tag=freeprogeboo-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">this report</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=freeprogeboo-20&l=ur2&o=1" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> may explain.<br /><br />Or go more in depth about the freedom of the press, and what responsibilities come along with it in relation to self-censorship and <a href="http://cranialsoup.blogspot.com/2008/02/mainstream-media-and-censorship.html">its ethical and moral implications</a>, focusing on the list of <a href="http://www.projectcensored.org/censored_2008/index.htm">censored news stories</a>.<br /><br />Or perhaps a piece on economic freedom and what organizations like <a href="http://thegreenchildren.org/tgcf/">The Green Children Foundation</a> are doing to help people living in third world countries overcome poverty, while still keeping their dignity, in the form of microcredit loans.<br /><br />Or perhaps how the <a href="http://www.opendemocracy.net/globalization-institutions_government/democracy_energy_3637.jsp">price of oil can threaten democracy</a> in places where the whole concept of freedom is still fairly new and still on shakey ground. The article is from 2006, when the price of oil was much lower than it is now, so most likely the situation is much worse today than it was at the time the article was written.<br /><br />Or artistic and educational freedom, and focus on <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/challengedbanned/challengedbanned.cfm">books that have been banned</a> throughout history, for one reason or another.<br /><br />Or psychological freedom, and how the <a href="http://www.way2hope.org/Illnesses/atychiphobia-fear-failure.htm">fear of failure</a> holds so many people back and prevents them from living up to <a href="http://blogs.salon.com/0002007/2006/04/20.html">their full potential</a>. (Unfortunately, something I have first-hand experience with)<br /><br />Or the desire for financial freedom, and the rising number of "get rich on the internet by blogging about how to <a href="http://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=make+money+blogging">make money blogging</a>" websites that are popping up every day.<br /><br />Or freedom of information, and the threat of censorship from ISP's and their desire to do away with <a href="http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/internet/26829res20070405.html">net neutrality</a> to boost profits, cut costs, and control what you see and do on the internet, and decide who can and will be able to profit online.<br /><br />Since I couldn't make up my mind as to what direction I wanted to go with this freedom piece, I decided to give you a little slice of everything I was thinking about yesterday, just in time for lunch.<br /><br />Enjoy your "freedom sandwich".<br /><br />Take it slow, one bite at a time, don't eat too fast...it's ok to save some for later.Apphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04973805741360160102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24223743.post-62671456552821684152007-10-11T20:52:00.002-04:002008-06-02T16:11:31.096-04:00Paul Adams: The Impossibility of Failure<p>I found an essay today, by a musician named <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Paul+Adams" target="_blank">Paul Adams</a>. I happen to like some of his music, so I was doing a bit of research on him and found his <a href="http://www.myspace.com/1951adams" target="_blank">MySpace</a> page. </p> <p>Usually, I will visit the MySpace pages of musicians I like, if they have one, in hopes of finding some free mp3's to download. This time was no different.</p> <p>Instead I found this:</p> <blockquote> <p>"... Hitting the wall and making mistakes provides us with invaluable lessons. Playing a guitar, driving a tractor, planting seed, painting a picture, etc. blooms best from error. Failing is a great teacher. Its Gods force of nature molding us like clay. BUT, this is a little different. Clay is the perfect deciple or student. Clay has no part in making the DECISION to become what it will be. It completely surrenders to the artist who molds it into form and reality. Man, on the other hand, has choice. Failure offers to mold us. It is a co-op between Man, God, and destiny. An artist, craftsman, or worker, can use life experience (Failure) as an interplay toward growth and learning. Get up, and have at it AGAIN!. Those who have had a completely smooth ride may not have had the opportunity to test themselves. *Those who do not choose to bend and flex with failure, are missing the opportunity to paint w/ nature and circumstance. They are saying no when God asks them to dance and adjust. They are denying an opportunity to seek out a different perspective. They are saying no when God asks them to learn from mistakes and become better at what they do. We are too busy reacting - we are not listening. ..."</p></blockquote> <p align="right"><a href="http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=77589049&blogID=123473970" target="_blank">Read more...</a></p> <p> </p> <p>Paul goes on to talk about the best reason for doing anything in life and how sometimes when something is not so good, why it can actually have a higher value than something that is great.</p> <p>I decided to print the entire thing and save it for the next time frustration sets in and I begin to question myself about why I do what I do, and start having those thoughts about giving up.</p>Apphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04973805741360160102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24223743.post-66067064372156955752007-07-20T07:59:00.001-04:002007-12-26T04:18:52.002-05:00Lawyers Love Instant Boss!<p><a href="http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/law_hacks/" target="_blank"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px" height="92" alt="American Bar Association Journal - July 2007" src="http://lh4.google.com/omgplzstfukthx/R3Icetifr0I/AAAAAAAAAMg/lx86QiET64g/aba-journal-2007-07%5B7%5D" width="71" align="left"> </a>I am feeling a little stunned today. </p> <p>I found out that an article in the July issue of the American Bar Association Journal, recommends one of my software applications, <a href="http://appsapps.info/instantboss.php" target="_blank">Instant Boss</a>.</p> <p>This is the magazine read by half of all lawyers in America. And this isn't in some small article buried somewhere in the back of the magazine that nobody is going to read. This is in their cover story...the main article.</p> <p>It made #31 on their top 101 productivity tips & tricks list:</p> <blockquote> <p><span style="color: #99aadd"><strong>31</strong> If you have trouble staying focused, you can make <strong>Instant Boss</strong> your digital task­master. You can set it to time your tasks and your breaks from those tasks, allowing it to nag you on a schedule of your choosing. </span></p></blockquote> <p>This was totally unexpected.</p> <p>Now I will have to go out and find a copy, and buy it. :-D</p> <p>The only criticism I really have with the article, is that the online version doesn't contain any links to the sites of most of the software mentioned. I am hoping there was a page at the end of the print edition article that contained the URL's.</p> <p>Of course now I'll have to get busy working on the next version of Instant Boss, including in it all those great ideas that I have been collecting for the last year.</p> <p></p> <p><a title="American Bar Association Journal" href="http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/law_hacks/" target="_blank">Read the full article.</a></p> Apphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04973805741360160102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24223743.post-1154341464803347122006-07-31T06:24:00.000-04:002008-08-27T10:30:26.864-04:00New Software Release: Instant BossI have finally finished the first version. This is based on a request made by JacobB over at the <a href="http://www.donationcoder.com" target="_blank">DonationCoder.com</a> coding snack forum.<br><br>This will time your work/break cycles, reminding you when to work and when to take a break.<br><br>The defaults are 10 minutes of work, 2 minutes of break, and this is repeated 5 times for a total of 1 hour.<br><br>These values can be changed to suit your needs. The program will remember the values you used during your last session.<br><br>Start by entering in the values you desire:<br> <li>The first box is for how long you want to work.<br> <li>The second box is for how long you want your breaks.<br> <li>The third box is for how many times you want to repeat this cycle.<br><br>Click Apply to set the new values.<br><br>Click Work to begin.<br><br>In the statusbar you can see where in your work cycle you are, followed by how long you have worked this session, followed by how long you have worked since you started using Instant Boss.<br><br>Instant Boss will tell you when it is time to take a break. You will have the choice to keep working a little longer, take your break now, or skip your break and begin next work period.<br><br> <li>If you decide to keep working, it will count up and add this to your total work time. You can then decide when to take a break by clicking the take a break button. <br> <li>If you decide to skip your break, it will begin the next word period in the cycle. <br> <li>If you decide to take a break now, it will begin your break period.<br><br>At the end of your break period, you will be told to get back to work and offered a few choices.<br><br> <li>If you decide to work, the work timer will begin.<br> <li>If you decide to take a longer break, it will extend your break by 50%, and remind you again when your time is up, to get back to work.<br> <li>If you click cancel, you will have to start work manually by clicking the work button again.<br><br>There is a pause button in case you are interrupted by phone calls or other things that need your attention. This can be used during both work or break periods.<br><br>The reset button...use with caution. This will stop all timers and reset everything to default values of 10-2-5 so that you may begin again. It will not reset how long you have worked today, nor the total time you have worked since you started using the Instant Boss program.<br><br>Clicking the X to close the program will result in it being minimized to the system tray. The only way to exit is through the right click menu on the tray icon. All of the button options also appear on that menu.<br><br>For power users, there are command line parameters you can use to preset the values when you run Instant Boss.<br><br>Example:"C:\Program Files\Instant Boss\InstantBoss.exe" 60 15 3<br>(there is a space after the last quote and a space between each number)<br><br>You can either use this from the Windows Run dialog or use it as shortcut targets. The numbers correspond with work-break-repeat, in that order. Please use only numbers, no letters.<br><br>Screenshot:<br> <div align="center"> </div> <p align="left"><a href="http://lh4.google.com/omgplzstfukthx/R3JPTtifsPI/AAAAAAAAAP0/rvQi0hbs4WA/Instant_Boss%5B6%5D" target="_blank"><img height="87" alt="Instant Boss" src="http://lh3.google.com/omgplzstfukthx/R3JPUdifsQI/AAAAAAAAAP8/Hp3ZmpN5q2g/Instant_Boss_thumb%5B4%5D" width="200"></a> <br><br><font color="#99aadd"><a href="http://appsapps.info/instantboss.php" target="_blank">Visit Instant Boss homepage.</a></font><br><br>This is donationware. If you like it and find it useful, please consider making a donation to me to show your appreciation. Your donations is the only money I make for all of my time & effort invested in creating my software.<br><br><a href="http://donationcoder.com/donate/19278" target="_blank">Donate to author of Instant Boss</a></p></li> Apphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04973805741360160102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24223743.post-1147331265089022822006-05-11T03:07:00.000-04:002008-08-27T10:30:26.873-04:00StopWatch<p>I have been spending a lot of time over at <a href="http://www.donationcoder.com" target="_blank">DonationCoder.com</a>.<br><br>They have this great '<a href="http://www.donationcoder.com/Forums/bb/index.php?board=31.0" target="_blank">coding snacks</a>' forum where visitors can request small utility programs and volunteers will create them. It's a great way to get project ideas, or kill a bit of time doing what you know you love to do...code stuff.<br><br>Someone there requested a stopwatch with a global hotkey to control it. They wanted it to either always stay on top or be able to be minimized to the system tray.<br><br>Since I had already done a stopwatch like this, all it needed was the addition of a global hotkey and the request would be filled...so that's what I did.</p> <p><a href="http://www.donationcoder.com/Forums/bb/index.php?topic=1736.msg22509#msg22509" target="_blank"><img height="174" alt="stopwatch" src="http://lh6.google.com/omgplzstfukthx/R3JbkNifsWI/AAAAAAAAAQs/HpIeRifjyn4/stopwatch-dc%5B6%5D" width="242"></a> <br><br>The hotkey is Ctrl-Shift-F9.<br><br>Hitting this will start/pause/resume, depending on the current state of the clock.<br>This will even work to control the stopwatch if it is minimized to the tray.<br><br>Enjoy!<br><br>Download: <a href="http://www.donationcoder.com/Forums/bb/index.php?topic=1736.msg22509#msg22509" target="_blank">StopWatch</a><br><br>comments & suggestions welcomed</p> Apphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04973805741360160102noreply@blogger.com2