Month: March 2010

Kijiji Needs an IQ Test Filter

This is literally the entire ad that was posted. This person thinks they’re going to sell a computer for $150 without mentioning anything about it other than the price not being final…that’s some funny stuff. 😉

A Dog’s Purpose, According to a Six Year Old

I received this in my email today – I did a bit of research to try and find the original source, but couldn’t discover it. Maybe you’ve read this before, but as a life-long dog owner, I was deeply touched when I read it.

puppy-keiko-dog

“Being a veterinarian, I had  been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish  Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron,  his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were  all very attached to Belker, and they were  hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker  and found he was dying of cancer. I told the  family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and  offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for  the old dog in their home.

As we made  arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought  it would be good for six-year-old Shane to  observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane  might learn something from the  experience. The next day, I felt the  familiar catch in my throat as Belker ‘s family  surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting  the old dog for the last time, that I wondered  if he understood what was going on. Within a few  minutes, Belker slipped peacefully  away.

The little boy seemed to accept  Belker’s transition without any difficulty or  confusion. We sat together for a while after  Belker’s Death, wondering aloud about the sad  fact that animal lives are shorter than human  lives.
Shane, who had been  listening quietly, piped up, ”I know  why.” Startled, we all turned to him.  What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d  never heard a more comforting explanation. It  has changed the way I try and live.

He  said,”People are born so that they can learn  how to live a good life — like loving everybody  all the time and being nice, right?” The  Six-year-old continued,

”Well,  dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t  have to stay as long.”

Live  simply.

Love generously.

Care  deeply.

Speak  kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the  teacher you would learn things  like:

When loved ones come home,  always run to greet them.

Never pass  up the opportunity to go for a  joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh  air and the wind in your face to be pure  Ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before  rising.

Run, romp, and play  daily.

Thrive on attention and let people  touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple  growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie  on your back on the grass.

On hot days,  drink lots of water and lie under a shady  tree.

When you’re happy, dance around and  wag your entire body.

Delight in the  simple joy of a long walk.

Be  loyal.

Never pretend to be something  you’re not.

If what you want lies buried,  dig until you find it.

When someone is  having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and  nuzzle them gently.

Enjoy every moment of every day.”

The Secret to Not Being Late Any More

“Time denial isn’t just specific to chronic latecomers, most everyone falls prey to this mentality at one point or another.  Yup, even you my friend.  So stop judging the dude in the next cubicle. You know the drill… You’re right in the middle of something that has your complete attention, all the while your next commitment is creeping up on you.  You glance at the clock, trying to squeeze in another few minutes to finish that email – or frag that alien with your rocket launcher – thinking that no matter what, you have time because it “only takes” 15 minutes to get to the office.”

One of the blogs I follow regularly via RSS to email updates is called Refocuser – it’s a great blog written by a guy I admire.  He wrote up a great post this week about the struggle that some people have with being on time – and one of those people would be me. I’m one of those people who’s always “just” in time – and my definition of that is within 5 minutes of the given meeting time, but I know for some people that’s unacceptable. The Refocuser blog entry focuses on time denial; the fact that most people who are habitually racing against the clock do so because they underestimate how long it takes them to get places.

In addition to that, I think there’s a certain amount of self-centeredness that those of us who are always late have to take ownership of. When we’re late, it’s usually because of one thing: we place a higher value on whatever we’re doing than the meeting we’re supposed to be going to. That means that when I’m working on an article, doing email, or even sleeping, I’m placing my own desire to do my own “stuff” ahead of being on time for an appointment. That’s been something I’ve tried to be cognoscente of since learning that a few years back (from an episode of Opera of all things), but it’s not an easy thing to conquer.

Photographer Spends 270 Hours in Pool of Water to Capture Photos

Wow…talk about dedication! This guy spent 270 hours submersed in water – and about three months on this project in general – trying to capture photos of African wildlife at this watering hole. He ended up getting very, very sick. (via @nikonrumors)

My New St. Patrick’s Day Tradition: Watching this Video

I get the feeling the pharmaceutical companies are testing new drugs by dumping them into the water supply down there in Mobile, Alabama. (via @kellyoxford)

Clay Shirkey & Cognitive Surplus

A great talk by Clay Shirkey – a really interesting speaker and a deep thinker – about how watching TV absorbs the cognitive surpluses we have as human beings. I disagree with him to some extent; most people don’t want to stay in OUTPUT mode constantly. Part of the human experience is INPUT mode; listening to music, reading a book, and yes, even watching TV. Since I spend my day writing content, sending emails, editing photos, editing videos, etc., at the end of the day my brain is a little tired from output. I find watching TV or reading a book a nice rest for my brain, and more so, creative input helps me generate creative output down the road. What about you?