unsurprising but important

A short story on why the latest health news is rarely accurate:

http://www.vox.com/2015/3/23/8264355/research-study-hype

worth a look.  Nothing earth shattering but useful to have it written out for those of us who are not directly aware that most of what the news covers is sensationalized and not necessarily accurate..... that a single research paper does not in fact denote actual proof, but merely the need for further research and evidence.

Science is less about eureka moments and more about an overwhelming body of proof.

---

hokey but..... maybe true

According to Google (and we all know Google is always right), this three step item will make your life better at a zero cost (except the first few days when you feel stupid doing it) and a total time consumption of 105 minutes (i peg it at a five minute daily project, not 2).

• Write down three new things for which you're grateful, or
• Spend two minutes each day praising or thanking a person you know, and
• Commit to doing it for 21 days.

Thats an excerpt from this article: https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20141124163631-24454816-two-minutes-to-make-you-happier-at-work-in-life-and-over-the-holidays

posted on linkedin by the HR chief at Google.

While it smacks of new-agey bull.... its a low cost to prove it wrong.

105 minutes to happiness.... Im in.

---

FINALLY, proof that my way of life has value

fromt he ignoble awards:

High Achievement Through Procrastination

Stanford University's John Perry was the 2011 Ig Nobel literature honoree for his article about the Theory of Structured Procrastination. Perry holds that procrastinators can still become respected high achievers by working on important things as a way of avoiding spending time on even more important tasks.

Naturally Perry had something slightly less important to do than attend the Ig Nobel ceremony, but he left his theory to speak for him, as originally written in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

"If all the procrastinator had left to do was to sharpen some pencils, no force on Earth could get him to do it. However, the procrastinator can be motivated to do difficult, timely, and important tasks, as long as these tasks are a way of not doing something more important."

WATCH THIS SPACE

IM WORKING ON IT

more for some than for others

from 43 Folders:

Links and Resources for the Chronically Disorganized

Merlin Mann | May 6 2008

N S G C D | Home

I'm still in a de-cluttering mode these days (more on that soon), so I was intrigued by this resource, which arrived this morning via Mrs. Folders.

While primarily a trade group for "professional organizers," the National Study Group on Chroic Disorganization site has some handy documents and links to help with identifying and solving pathological problems with clutter and hoarding.

If you can tolerate the site's gruesome ardor for PDFs, you'll find some informative and eye-opening stuff. From their fact sheets page:

• Are You Chronically Disorganized? - The obligatory self-test. Mmm…yeah, I am guilty of #17: "Is it difficult for you to part with things even though they have outlived their usefulness?"
• Time Management for the Chronically Disorganized - "Remember that you are procrastinating if you work on a trivial task while a more important one remains undone."
• Tips for Communicating with the Chronically Disorganized - "Avoid what does not work…Don't say: 'Just do it!'"

I really liked some of the Tips for Overcoming Procrastination for the Chronically Disorganized Individual or Household (excerpted): read more »

great amazon deal finder

http://www.junglecrazy.com

AWESOME 'toy' for the kids

probably gonna be recalled real soon for killing someone but:

http://gizmodo.com/376035/moov-is-the-lego-of-kids-vehicles-verdict-i-dont-want-to-grow-up

Moov is probably one of the most amazing toys you will see this year: a do-it-yourself 4-in-1 vehicle kit for kids aged between 5 and 12. Now it's a racer, now is a carver, now is a tricycle, now is a scooter. It's like LEGO Technics meet Duplo meet true pneumatic tyres, but with giant wood and plastic pieces, easy enough for a kid to build it and big enough to ride it at Warp 7 down the street, as you can see in the demonstration video after the jump.

Interesting online 'book'

From Cool Hunting:

"The 21 Steps" is a fast-paced, finely-tuned thriller that uses Google Maps to take the reader through the story's events. Written by British purveyor of spy thrillers, Charles Cumming, the story is told through Google's information bubbles with brief statements and images that take the reader from the streets of London to Edinburgh, Scotland with plenty of action and mini-cliffhangers along the way.

"The 21 Steps" is the first installment of the six-part "We Tell Stories" project by Penguin Books, which takes six contemporary writers and has them write a story based on a classic book. Cumming's classic was The 39 Steps by John Buchan. We spoke to Cumming about "The 21 Steps" and We Tell Stories.

http://www.coolhunting.com/archives/2008/04/charles_cumming.php

Aeropress coffee review

http://inventorspot.com/articles/can_aeropress_deliver_perfect_cup_coffee_11982

Can The Aeropress Deliver The Perfect Cup Of Coffee?
by Toby, March 25, 2008

Would you believe that you can make a cup of espresso or cafe
americano in 30 seconds flat and it would be the best cup of coffee
you ever tasted? Would you believe that you only have to spend around
$30 on the coffee maker that produced the perfect cup of coffee? And
that a combination espresso/coffee maker is so portable you can take
it to your office with you? Could the perfect cup of coffee come from
such a modest-looking device as the Aeropress ®?

You may wonder what's so novel about the Aeropress, this simple
looking one-cup coffee maker that makes better coffee than a $2000
espresso machine or a $10 simple plastic cone and paper filter.

Most similar to a French press system, the Aeropress uses total
immersion and pressure, but the Aeropress has a separate filter and
plunger, and the filter is on the bottom, where ground coffee is more
evenly exposed to the pressure of the plunger. Cone shaped filter
systems tend to "burn" the ground coffee in the center of the cone tip
while under-brewing the coffee on the edges of the cone.

A truely good cup of coffee is not made with boiling water as a
temperature above about 210 degrees Fahrenheit, produces a bitter
taste. The Aeropress uses water at about 165 to 200, depending on
which coffee connoisseur you ask.

The process of coffee making is much faster using the Aeropress,
taking only 30 seconds, not counting the time it takes to heat the
water or grind the coffee. Place 2 - 3 scoops of ground coffee, pour
in water to the measured level on the filter, stir with the plunger
for 10 seconds, and then press the plunger for 10 - 20 seconds. Add
additional hot (not boiling) water for regular coffee or cafe
americano, or drink as is for espresso strength.

Grind size and type of coffee you use are to your taste. Espresso
grind is not necessary. If you don't like the taste of espresso
coffee, you don't need to use an Espresso bean. You can make a good
cup of coffee with Folger's or any store brand coffee. The Aeropress
makes it taste better.

If you choose to save the coffee for later use to make iced coffee,
cappuccino, latte, or other beverage, don't add water to what you have
made. Keep the coffee in concentrate form in the refrigerator. Because
you have not used boiling water, the taste will remain fresh for a few
days. You can also use this concentrated coffee to add to cake or ice
cream recipes.

Do I think the Aeropress makes the perfect cup of coffee? I think it
can.

Perfect coffee is in the tastebuds of the taster. The Aeropress
recognizes this and perhaps that is why the coffee maker is so lenient
with the grind and type of coffee you use.

If the taste of Folgers is what you like, you can make a perfect cup
of Folgers to your taste.

If you love French Roast, you can buy it fresh roasted, grind it
fresh, and make your perfect espresso style French Roast or French
Roast americano.

You get to experiment with different beans and different grinds. And
doing this, I believe you can make a perfect cup of coffee with the
Aeropress.

Aeropress is a product of Aeorbie® and was invented by its inventor/
engineer President, Alan Adler. Aeropress is available at coffee shops
and gourmet stores nationwide. It is also available on Amazon.com.
(Read those customer reviews!) And watch the short video on the
Aerobie website to see how easy it is to use and clean the Aeropress!

Coffee Thesis

This is a cool looking vacuum coffee maker.... I just don't see how it
is different from any other conventional vacuum coffee maker....
What makes it THESIS worthy?
oh yeah, forgot to mention it is someone's thesis work.....
And the comment of allowing it more time in contact with the
grinds.... then yo need a courser grind to avoid bitter brew....
whatever, still cool.
http://www.yankodesign.com/index.php/2008/03/25/coffee-making-magic/