October 26, 2012

The Myth Behind the Chase vs. the Catch

The misconception of comparing the chase with the catch is the incorrect belief that the "catch" is a finality.

Because 50% of people end up saying, "You no longer have me."

The chase never ends.
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October 15, 2012

Where Can I Find Your Music Online?

My friend asked me this question the other day. And I wasn't sure.

Then, I realized how crazy that was. How do I not know where my own music lives online?

Well, the reason is that I wanted to get paid for it. So, I paid $ to get my music listed on sites where I could make $ off it.

Shortly after, I discovered the $ it cost to get my music listed was > than the $ I made off the sales.

Therefore, my 'Why Every President Sucked' is only up in iTunes and Spotify for a little while longer. My Relevant Reverence stuff has all expired.

This is silliness. A simple database issue. I used other's databases in order to try and protect my music, and have ended up making it an impossibility for people to listen to that which I created for that specific purpose.
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October 5, 2012

Minimalism Week: Feng Shui Your Psyche

We're talking minimalism this week.

More than just materialistic minimalism, there's a whole other life minimalism strategy focused on mental heath, based on the concept that your brain is a fatiguable muscle.


Every notice that Steve Jobs wore the same outfit every day? Every notice Mark Zuckerberg does the same? I recently got some possible insight into this fact through author Michael Lewis' recent interview of President Obama for Vanity Fair.

"I'm trying to pare down decisions. I don't want to make decisions about what I'm eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make." He mentioned research that shows the simple act of making decisions degrades one's ability to make further decisions. It's why shopping is so exhausting. "You need to focus your decision-making energy. You need to routinize yourself. You can't be going through the day distracted by trivia."
Think about it. The days when you get home from work with big plans to get something done, and you just can't? You collapse on the couch. And it's not always as if you've spent the day conducting heart surgery in the E.R. Your mind is simply tired from the junk of the day.

So what if we try to automate the unimportant decisions in our life, so we can focus our full attention on the things worthy of it?
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October 4, 2012

Minimalism Week: Clothing Simplicity is Easier for Dudes

We're talking minimalism this week.

Minimalism Example #3:
Cut your wardrobe to 7 essential items, and wear only those for a month.

Jen Hatmaker's book called 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess recounts a 7-month social experiment in her own life, in which for one month, she ate only 7 different foods. The next month, her wardrobe consisted of only 7 different items. You get the idea. Short-term (doable) attempts at rediscovering what's really necessary.

So, there's a big part of me that really likes the clothing minimalism concept - long-term.

1 - white dress shirt
1 - gray dress pants
1 - black dress shoes
1 - gym shoes
1 - light sweater
1 - jeans
1 - white t-shirt
(She gives you socks and underwear as freebies.)

Because I dress fairly "classic" as it is, and almost prefer the aesthetic of minimalism. (Think Uncle Jesse). But, there's two hold-ups here. One, I work in a creative field, and two, I work in an office setting. Would this repetitive nature of dress (making others think I'm homeless or simply have awful style) damage my career/reputation?

I also think this method has got to be a lot harder on girls than guys. You actually NEED 30 outfits, because your golden blouse is so memorable it'd be super awkward if you wore it 3 times a week. Then again, maybe you could just minimalize your color palette. Go the white/black/light method that I chose for my own fictitious wardrobe.

This one's interesting. Anyone see any other big downsides here?

Yes, I know the right answer is you shouldn't care what other people think of you.
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October 2, 2012

Minimalism Week: Apple or PC

We're talking minimalism this week.

Minimalism Example #2:
Do you buy an expensive laptop that lasts a while, or a cheap laptop you have to replace every 2 years?

Because buying a cheap $300 laptop was a no-brainer for us compared to buying a Macbook. But our first one barely last 2 years. Then, we bought another $300 replacement. And it's been awful, too. I can't imagine doing it again.

Similarly, we loved buying the Magic Bullet over the expensive Vitamix. But we're on our 4th.

At what point are we just being stupid through our attempts at being fiscally smart?

Give me answers, as well as new examples to talk about this week.

Yes, I know the right answer is "you don't need a laptop."



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October 1, 2012

Minimalism Week: Home Decoration for Perpetual Thanksgiving

A whole week on minimalism sounds a little much, no? ...get it?

But, as the concept of "life minimalism" has become more and more mainstream (perhaps due to financial necessity), and as my friends are getting more and more involved in evangelizing the movement itself, I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and want to talk this one through.

In general, I'm not sure many people disagree with the premise.

Spend less money. Care less about money. Spend less time on the non-important. Spend more time on the things you love most.

But, let's talk through some examples this week.

Minimalism Example #1:
Furnishing your house for special occassions or for everyday living?

We buy a dining room table that seats 10 so we're prepared to do so. Except not only do we only have 2.5 people living in our household (which would occupy only 1/4 of this table at mealtime), we don't even eat in that room at all.

The average American dining room is perefectly designed for Thanksgiving...once a year...if you host.

Our living room also comfortably seats 5. Twice what we need.

Now, I think being able to entertain is awesome. I think living in community is everything.

But theoretically, you could furnish your house for everyday living, and spend the savings to take your friends out for extravagant events throughout the year, right?

When I think about the furniture in my house I use daily, it makes me wonder if that should become the standard to which you decide to buy it?

Give me answers, as well as new examples to talk about this week.
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