Monthly Archives: December 2006

Stop Waiting and Choose Your Own Talent

Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn’t have it in the beginning.
-Gandhi
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Save the World by Being Lazy – Recommended Reading

The purpose of machines is to do work so we don’t have to, correct? This makes sense logically, but as technology advances we find ourselves working more. In truth, we could meet our basic needs working a few hours a day. Most people don’t like working, so why does this culture of overwork persist? Why is work glorified and leisure deemed wasteful and immoral? Continue reading

The Next Big Thing: Will It Be You?

Anyone who reads much online has noticed the amount of attention paid to blogs has skyrocketed over the past few years. In fact, if you are reading this via the Problogger writing project, it’s likely the boom has motivated you to start a blog and grab a piece of the action for yourself. Blogging has evolved from the largely ignored rambling of internet geeks into a versatile publishing platform used by giant corporations and individuals alike. Whether you do it for money, networking, or fun, anyone can start a blog, and sometimes it seems like everyone has. Of course, the vast majority of bloggers toil in obscurity and eventually abandon their dreams of internet stardom. So what separates the giants from the dwarves? I have observed two areas where the best of the best distinguish themselves. The first is early entry. The majority of extremely popular blogs have been operating for two years or more. These visionaries saw the potential of blogging before anyone else and entered the market when competition was sparse. They’ve been spending the past few years mastering the blog game and building reputation and authority. It’s no wonder they beat the pants off beginners like myself. And this brings us to the subject of the article. Most of us got into blogging to make it big. For this to happen we’ll have to recognize the next big thing before everyone else, just like today’s blog superstars did a few years ago. Without further adieu, I present my prediction for the future of internet media.
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Inspirational Quote #4 by Bertrand Russell

To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization.

-Bertrand Russell

If you find yourself spending most or all of your leisure time immersed in mindless television or video games you may wish to reconsider your aspirations. These activities steal time and give nothing back. If you wish to benefit from your leisure, spend it intelligently. You will be rewarded with better health, a finer mind, and fewer regrets. Continue reading

A Letter of Advice to College Freshmen

I’m writing this because I want to tell you a few things I wish I’d known when I was a college freshman. Continue reading

How to Teach Yourself a Foreign Language

What this post will help you do is become conversant. You will be able to have a simple conversation, ask for directions, order at a restaurant, make small talk, etc. You will also be able to read fairly well with the use of a dictionary. Following these steps will give you a great base in a new language. Continue reading