Oversimplification can be confusing
“When saving a file, you have an option to ‘maximize compatibility’. The thing is, they never tell you what the alternative is. Why would you ever choose to not maximize compatibility? Even worse, the dialog explicitly warns you that turning the option off is a bad idea. Seems like a stupid question then, doesn’t it?”
Change your to-do list into a could-do list
“When I draw up my daily lists of tasks I refuse to see it as stuff I have to get done. When I did that in the past, I’d feel a sense of dissatisfaction at the end of the day when I didn’t have everything ticked off, despite the fact that I knew when I wrote it, it was highly unlikely I’d get to everything. It’s a tiny shift, but by viewing it as a list of things I could do today, I’m relieving the pressure to get them all done. It feels like there’s more of an element of choice around how I spend my time – I don’t have to do x today, I could leave it till tomorrow and focus more attention on y today instead.” [tx SM]
"Atlas Shrugged" influences business execs
“One of the most influential business books ever written…The book attracted a coterie of fans, some of them top corporate executives, who dared not speak of its impact except in private. When they read the book, often as college students, they now say, it gave form and substance to their inchoate thoughts, showing there is no conflict between private ambition and public benefit.”
Can China control the weather?
“Every year, China launches thousands of rockets and artillery shells into the sky. They’re not part of a set of war games or preparation for a battle with Taiwan, but rather a battle with the weather. Through its Weather Modification Program, the Chinese government hopes to control the fickle forces behind rain. Run by the Weather Modification Department, a division of the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Science, the program employs and trains 32,000 to 35,000 people across China, some of them farmers, who are paid $100 a month to handle anti-aircraft guns and rocket launchers.”
Mike Birbiglia cuts a deal with "Glamazon"
Mike Birbiglia’s new comedy album “My Secret Public Journal Live” features this track which discusses how he cut a deal with “Glamazon” to take back a busted tv.
Remembering password reminder questions is getting tougher
“Who remembers the name of their first stuffed animal? The time you were born, not the year. My third grade teacher had a Japanese last name that I can’t remember how to spell. Too bad it wasn’t my fourth grade teacher who I liked much less, but whose name is simple to spell. Least favorite nickname? Uh… First kiss? Well, she was cute. I remember that much. Maybe this is just a sign that I’m getting too old, but the only question from the list that I felt confident answering is my mother’s maiden name, and maybe I’ll give her a call just to be safe.”
Open space offices
“My opinion for technology startups is totally open space with some large conference rooms, some very small conference rooms which double as phone rooms for personal/private phone calls, and no private offices, and if that’s not possible (no such rental space in a neighborhood, etc.) then make your existing space as open as possible and turn private offices into rooms with 2-3 desks.”
The story of Burt’s Bees success
“It makes simple products using plain ingredients like milk, honey, beeswax and almond oil, selling them in cheerful, tongue-in-cheek retro packages. It appeals to a diverse audience using a retail distribution system that includes national chains like CVS and Whole Foods Market, along with college bookstores and village gift stores. And it employs seemingly low-key marketing, like its interactive tent, without preaching a green gospel. This laissez-faire approach inspires word-of-mouth promotion.”
Mustache on People's Court