Keep your eye clear, and hit ‘em where they ain’t.
a personal weblog,
or “blog,”
by Merlin Mann
“ A simple rule dictates my buying: Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.
Warren Buffett, who so often delights me by confirming a hunch that a) this stuff is not as complicated as it looks, and b) you’ll never really get ahead in life by following what everyone else is already doing.
We’ve all got mail. Lots of it - Nightly News with Brian Williams (June, 2006)
Sometimes I forget that Bryan and I did this. Already seems like a million years ago.
“ I have juggled a breast pump and a BlackBerry, and I know when to put the BlackBerry down.
Rosanne Cash
“Hey Nineteen,” in Context
Google Docs - “Hey, Nineteen,” in Context
I’m obsessed with calculating the equivalent years-difference between experiences people have had in different eras or generations (for example, my Mom’s “Time After Time” is my “Piña Colada Song”). Always have been. If pop culture has had the effect on you that it has on me, you probably do this, too.
But, if getting a little older has made you as intensely aware of these differences as it has me, you may enjoy some informal data on a song about this very topic: “Hey Nineteen,” a song written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagan from their 1980 Steely Dan album, Gaucho. Wikipedia says:
The song’s primary theme is generational differences. Most troublingly to the narrator, his companion is too young to “remember the Queen of Soul”, Aretha Franklin.
So there you go. I added a few hasty guesses on likely contemporaneous music (and added Tinysong links for each). I may work on it more later, but I think this gives you the gist: one gal’s “Glow Worm” is another gal’s “Pop that Pussy.”
Bruce Springsteen - “Thunder Road” (Live, 1975)
At Hammersmith Odeon, London ‘75.
The last verse of this song — particularly in this performance — has become one of my favorite things ever.
There were ghosts in the eyes
Of all the boys you sent away.
They haunt this dusty beach road In the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets.
They scream your name at night in the street!
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet.
And, in the lonely cool before dawn,
From your room, you hear their engines roar on.
But, when you get to the porch, they’re gone on the wind. So, Mary climb in.
It’s a town full of losers, And I’m pulling outta here to win.
Life Hacking Documentary - You 2.0 Teaser Trailer
Apparently, Danny has been adopted by the Pernice Brothers.
I could see them eventually becoming a comedy team.
Luckily, our own Jim Cramer’s here to lend today’s developments a much needed dose of sanity and perspective. And, when we return, Chriss Angel, Dr. Phil, and Flavor Flav join host, Corey Feldman, for a lively discussion of macroeconomics, fluid dynamics, plus 11 surprising new places where hot chicks tell us they love to tan.
How to Blog
Here’s some totally choppy video of a dude named “Marilyn,” talking about How to Blog.
Hint: Van Hœt cameo at 32:07.
Look at me streaming!
TL;DW? Here’s everything that I know about blogging in one slide:
I like this talk. It felt great to do. I think it might be my secret love letter to Gruber, David Simon, and my boys on YLNT; they each make me want to be better.
Added 2008-09-15 04:13:54 EDT
Here’s my slide deck for this (cleaned up a little).
HOWTO process your new hotel room
- Replace any partial roll of toilet paper with a fresh one
- Gather all signs, placards, ads, offers, “magazines,” Gideon Bibles, or other marketing materials strewn throughout the room; place in lowest dresser drawer; close (and optionally duct-tape) drawer
- Collect all fake plants, fake art objects, and other distracting kipple; place in closet; close closet door
- On one newly marketing-free surface, prominently place photo of family you miss
- Hang up thing to wear tomorrow; if wrinkled, hang in bathroom with shower running
- Google for local public radio or college radio stations; retune radio accordingly
- Set at least two alarms
- Call room service; order large pot of coffee to arrive 30 minutes before you plan to wake up in the morning (this becomes another alarm)
- Call family to say Good night
- Turn TV to wherever Law & Order is playing (somewhere, Law & Order is always playing)
- Wash hands
- Brush teeth
- Miss family
- Try to sleep without obsessing over who used the first half of that toilet paper. Then slept where you are right now. Maybe naked.
- Put on more layers; try to sleep again