Blog

Data, Greek Love, Choices

Carl Setzer

Today: another day where I sit amazed at the information stream I’ve set up for myself. Emails, website, tweets, etc, tons of stuff I WANT to process. Add to that the stream of stuff I “should” read. It’s really mind blowing.

I consider, though, “why?”  It’s hits me that is rather new. Must of my life, getting access to information required more effort. I needed to subscribe to a magazine or journal, go to a library, etc. Plus, editors and publishers weeded the irrelevant (ostensibly, at least). I never needed to invest time in determining whether I was investing in worthwhile information.

Now, knowledge races towards me. Things that would’ve required hours, of not days, of research I can now access from my bed. And it’s all there… ALL, good, bad, useful and not…all. And I value that, democratizing information, even with the added burden.

I’m working on the control skills. Really, though, the challenge is gluttony, on my part. I love knowing stuff, especially the eclectic, unusual. Perhaps a little showing off, but also it just makes me giddy. And that’s really my challenge: I want to read it all. How do I prioritize it, chose which this to ignore? Hmm… indeed…

Coin, Phones and the Future of Credit Cards

Carl Setzer

After reading this TechCruch piece on Coin, I’m wondering if, someday, credit card companies will stop producing the plastic throw-away cards. This future would see us using our cell phones with NFC functionality or tools like Coin. That should reduce the amount of plastic added to our waste stream, and, I expect, lower costs for the credit-card industry. They won’t need to manufacture, much less distribute cards.

I also hope gift cards will evolve this way. One example: I get a number of Starbucks cards as thank-yous for various efforts. The first thing I do with them is transfer the balance onto my iPhone’s Starbucks app, then toss the card. Usually, the plastic card is in my possession from a few minutes to a day. It’s really rather wasteful.

So, green benefits and cost savings; what a better win/win combination, right?

Moleskine Day

Carl Setzer

As a productivity and effectiveness junkie, I found this clever little bit from my chums at Moleskine a gentle little reminder about the importance of planners and planning. And a nice nudge to grab a new paper planner. More on that soon, though.

Thoughts On Apple, iPhones, Safari and a bit of Android Envy

Carl Setzer

I’m suffering a bit from Android Envy, centered around the app Mighty Text. This makes Android phones more compelling to me. And, sadly, there isn’t an iPhone version, nor competing product…well, at least not on Windows. Now I get Apple, and understand why they haven’t/won’t make a Windows version of the product: Apple’s drive for their products integration. Perhaps, though, there’s a way for Apple to build a tool and expand their market-share of another Apple product: Safari.

My idea: integrate iMessage functionality with Safari. Let me send/receive SMS messages via my iPhone from my Safari browser. That would drive me to use Safari nearly exclusively. Right now, on my work PC, I use (in order from most to least used) Firefox, Chrome, IE, then Safari; on my Mac, Chrome, Firefox then Safari. I tend to only use Safari extensively on my iPhone.

So, here’s a way to expand Apple’s hold in one market, increase the functionality of a key tool, and help make iPhone’s that much more usable. Apple, what says you?

Thoughts on Capitalism

Carl Setzer

Can capitalism respond to our various global crisises?  Can it respond to global warming, income gaps, etc? Or is it’s very nature corrosive? By us all being competitors, does that destroy out ability to collaborate? Or are we able to find that third way, a path where we’re all equal, not undercutting and seeking for everyone to benefit? Is there a way for win-win to be globalized, scaled across cultures, countries, et al? 

The dude vernacular

Carl Setzer

I’ve actually had full conversations simply stating “dude” with different inflection and emphasis. Ah, life on the west coast!

Godzilla – Official Teaser Trailer [HD]

Carl Setzer

Well, another attempt at the Godzilla franchise. This one looks pretty powerful, though.

Cold Mornings, or Life in the North

Carl Setzer

At several moments on my drive in were several moments I wished I could photograph. Gorgeous ice formations upon trees, some highlighted by light from the rising sun. Bare branches with frost have this delightful quality, especially with cold sunlight glinting upon it. Hoarfrost, as it’s otherwise known.

Since I wasn’t able (either due to time, driver safety, or other reason) to grab a shot, I grabbed this one off the interwebs. Bon appetite!

Swedish House Mafia – Don’t You Worry Child (Khushnuma) – ft. Shweta Subram

Carl Setzer

Just stumbled upon this piece. I really like the Swedish House Mafia’s piece, and this cover of it simply brings chills. I’ll be exploring Shweta Subram’s work next.

Facing challenges

Carl Setzer

Random observation: people seem to land in one of two camps regarding their responses to recognizing challenges. Either we over-dramatize (see the mountain instead if the molehill), or under-estimate (see a molehill instead of the mountain). Perhaps the later deception is more productive, as you avoid paralysis. However, neither is truly effective. Either one is paralyzed needlessly, or starry-eyed unaware of truly harmful danger. 

Best response: when we’ve trained ourselves to see challenge, understand our ability to respond, then choose clearly amongst the clear and obvious choices. 
I train my mind continuously, hoping that I’ll someday achieve that state.