Archive for the 'Observations' Category

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Productivity in 2009

Published on December 23, 2008 in Goals and Dreams, Life, Observations and Personal Development. 3 Comments

“Now is the time to design the next ten years of your life–not once they’re over.
– Anthony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within

Driving to my parent’s house last night, I was listening to the Gnarles Barkley song “Crazy”. Over and over again. That’s because it was the first time I’d ever caught this passage:

My heroes have the heart
to live the life I want to live.
And all I remember
is thinking
“I want to be like them.”

Thing is, I’d been giving a lot of thought to exactly that: my heroes, the lives they live, and what it takes to be like them. At the same time, I’ve been thinking about my future, where I am, and where I’m going, starting with goals for the next year.

It didn’t take long for me to start writing down these thoughts. What I came up with was not a list of what makes these people successful, what makes them my heroes, but a list of things I’ve found keep me from succeeding to the highest possible level. Unfortunately, succeeding only 90% is sort of like jumping across a gorge only 90%. Anything short of all the way keeps us from where we hope to end up.

At the top of that list was productivity, which can be broken down into the following: useful information gathering, action, and growth. If I’m to become more productive, here’s where I begin. Continue reading ‘Productivity in 2009′

Walmart Commies Clean

Published on October 22, 2008 in Movies and Music and Observations. 3 Comments Tags: , .

We’ve been buying furniture lately to furnish the new place. For the most part this has involved going to estate sales, garage sales, and antique shops to look for those just-right pieces of furniture. After all, we have a lot of space in the house and don’t wish to fill it with crap. And I subscribe to the theory that all the pieces in the home should be both useful and individually appealing, things which stand out on their own, yet blend in within the framework of the decor. It’s hard to do that with furniture from the big sellers, at least within our current budgetary constraints.

After seeing as much as we’ve seen, as as many prices as we’ve seen, I decided to walk to the local Walmart (which is in the same strip as a used furniture store and a Goodwill) to remind myself what crap looked like, and how it was priced. (This way I could get my bearings again.) Now, I know that going to Walmart is bad for your self esteem: when you go in, demons land on your shoulders and begin feeding on your soul. But walking around the store I saw signs which made me think that Walmart finally came clean, after a swift double-take. Compare the pictures and see if you can spot the similarities.

Walmart and China

(On the left, a sign I saw all over Walmart. On the right, the Chinese flag.)

Yes, China’s prices ARE unbeatable. Thanks for telling us, Walmart! Thing is, it’s easy to be unbeatable when you artificially devalue your currency and peg it to that of your biggest potential economic competitor, thereby ensuring a price imbalance. But hey, at least Walmart’s finally being (mostly) honest as to where their loyalties lie. Has the company finally (un)officially admitted to becoming the commercial wing of the Chinese government? The signs point to yes.

Quality: When Enough Is Enough

Published on May 23, 2008 in 9Rules, Gnorb's Favorites, Life and Observations. 8 Comments

You know, I thought about publishing a post about a game with Fark tags and headlines, but I simply couldn’t bring myself to post it. Why? Because of something I think about too often, as I’m sure has anyone who’s ever considered their blog to be more than simply a sounding board. I’m talking about the big Q:

Quality. Continue reading ‘Quality: When Enough Is Enough’

Autumn Visits

Published on October 18, 2007 in Life and Observations. 0 Comments

This weekend, autumn came to visit. I had been waiting for it since last year, watching closely for the first signs of the season, for the cooling temperatures, the turning of the leaves, and the added cheer the season always brings. Unfortunately, it didn’t stay long. Continue reading ‘Autumn Visits’