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Decoding Jackson Pollock

Decoding Jackson Pollock

The Ian Hines Interviews

One thing that is increasingly fascinating to me is how much writers of all stripes and mediums enjoy writing and reading about the process of writing and the importance that reading plays in this process — especially when the medium being examined is their own. I certainly am no exception. It is for this reason that I have found reading about the origin and processes of several of my online publishing compatriots so compelling.

Ian Hines recently interviewed a number of these folks but, due to circumstances I can’t yet surmise, was never able to actually post them. I am so very thankful that did not result in a treasure lost but, instead, it allowed these fine writers of some of my favorite blogs to post the interviews on their own sites, thus making the peek behind the curtain even more compelling than any “about” page ever could ever do.

I urge you to read each one of these posts, in their full original context, one after another, as they almost form a single narrative around the question of “Why bloggers blog”. Here they are with a favorite takeaway line each:

  • Pat Dryburgh“I also want to quickly touch on this: I am hesitant to use terms like “real” or “real world” friends when speaking about friends I know offline. I have had real, heart to heart conversations with some great people that I count as good friends even though I’ve never met them in person. To me, that is just as real as someone I’ve shaken hands with”

  • Shawn Blanc“Publishing a weblog has been the best thing I could have done for my writing. It is a format that really works for me: I enjoy it, I’m challenged by it, inspired by it, and frustrated by it. I love it and I hate it. Some days I cannot wait to sit down at my keyboard, while other days I consider quitting altogether and spending all that new free time building furniture. And but so the blend of emotion is sort of my proof that I ought to keep growing and writing.”

  • Jorge Quinteros“Maintaining a log of opinions and imagery seemed like the ideal way to hoard memories. There’s nothing like reading back on your own words or viewing your photographs and being able to recall exactly what you felt when creating any of them.”

  • Kyle Baxter“Whatever it is you find yourself reading about constantly, and thinking about when you should be thinking about something else; that thing that just grabs your attention like nothing else does, and leaves you terribly excited… That’s what you need to write about.”

Seriously, go read each one. Nothing but gold past this rainbow. It’s a shame there are not more of these. I’d like to buy the book.

Review: Rework

The only way I can fairly review Rework, the new book by 37 Signals founders Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson is to break it into two separate reviews – one for each audience. Therefore, decide which one you fit into and read on from there.

Fans, True Believers, and Apostates

You fit into this group if you are an avid fan of 37 Signals, read their Signal vs. Noise blog, and are already intimately aware of their core philosophies. If this is you then, this book will hold no surprises and it will be nothing you have not seen before in one form or another. You may want to buy an electronic edition of the book for the occasional pep talk as needed. Or, since no “subchapter” is longer than a few pages, it might be the perfect addition to the well curated bathroom (you do, in fact, curate your bathroom reading, right?). It also will make a great gift for your friends in Group #2.

37 Who?

You fit into this group if you are not all that familiar with 37 Signals, their philosophies, or their blog. For you, this book is a must read. It is disruptive and will shake up every foundation about business you have learned. You need this because within lies the truth, in short digestible bites, about how to really start a business that builds on your passion and make that business successful by the only standards that matter (yours). Its a fantastic and smart read by people with opinions – people with opinions are rare these days. That said, I’m sure you know a few and they are likely in Group #1. Ask them to loan you their copy of Rework.

Faith in The Future

Both my wife and I are freelance consultants. I’m a technical consultant and she’s a non-profit and arts management consultant. Because of this, our “office” is usually wherever we are. We spend many days shuffling between ious locations. Our computing needs have to be highly portable and durable. We always buy the most machine for our long term needs and always purchase the piece of mind that Applecare provides. We even keep a spare machine on deck should one of our machines need to go in for service. Generally, we replace our laptops when the Applecare runs out (i.e. every three years), which just happens to be this month.

For my beautiful wife, we decided to get the new Macbook (2.26 GHz, 250GB, 2GB RAM) to replace her previous three year old model (1.83 Ghz, 120GB, 2GB RAM). Her needs are basic – web, email, office apps. For that, this is more than enough machine and should last her very well for the next three years. It’s an amazing machine for the price and we recommend it highly.

For me, I decided to “replace” my self upgraded black Macbook (2.0 Ghz, 320GB 7200 RPM, 4GB RAM) with an… iPad (WiFi only, 64GB). I know. Crazy right? Well, here’s the thing – the Macbook I have is more than enough machine for me capability wise. The upgrades I have given it mean that it will be enough machine for several more years to come in this respect. I did not need “more machine”. What I needed was “greater flexibility and portability”. The iPad will serve me well in almost every situation I can think of. It will allow me to do everything I need to 99% of the time. My Macbook will become a desktop machine, an adjunct to the iPad, with the added bonus of being able to be portable for those rare times I need more machine when out and about at a client. But, for all intents and purposes, the iPad will be my main daily machine.

Still think I’m insane? Well, wait until I tell you that I used a Newton MessagePad as my main “daily worker” for years. Every model from the introduction of the MessagePad 120 all the way until the 2100. I used it for web browsing (as it was at the time), reading, email, notes, calendar, address book, word processor, and much more. In other words, exactly as one would use any portable computer. During that time, I saw the sort of computing I was able to do with a handheld device, and the way I was doing it, as the future of computing. With the introduction of the iPad, my faith in that future is regained.

I am sure the time will come when I have to replace my current Macbook. But that is at least a couple of more years off as I see it. The iPad really is a return to the future for me. Call me crazy.

David Byrne’s Journal: 03.15.10: Collaborations

David Byrne’s Journal: 03.15.10: Collaborations

It’s not a bargain if you don’t need it.

The title is taken from a line my Father said to me once in discussing my Grandmother, who thought anything worth having was worth having five of. I have remembered it ever since. I remember it every time I see a tremendous deal that seems just too good to pass up. A sweater on super cheap clearance (us Minnesotans can never have too many, right?). A printer that is practically free after rebate (I can always give it to someone else as a gift, right?). 

Lately, I remember it anytime I see a super cheap bundle of Mac apps, that grows to even more at download milestones, all for an unbelievably good price. I think to myself, “Wow, that is a really good deal for that one application I want, let alone the ten others. Plus, they are giving five bucks of that price to charity. I can get a deal and be a humanitarian all at the same time. What a bargain!”

It’s not a bargain if you don’t need it.

Let’s just say there is one of these bundles – lets just call it MacTheft  – and the price for eleven apps is $19.95. And, let’s just say they promise to give $5.00 of your purchase to starving children in cataclysmicly devastated regions of the world. Therefore, the price of the software – all eleven apps – is theoretically $14.95. But, let’s just say there is only two apps out of the eleven that you really think you need. Here is a crazy idea to try… 

Buy the apps outright, full-price, directly from the developer.

Crazy, right? 

I know, I know. You are not getting a bargain, right? Wrong. Did you need the apps? Then you are getting a bargain. Even better, you are directly supporting the developer and their future development. Not only that but you are also not cluttering up your hard drive with software you will never use. You are not wasting your time and attention on bargains that really aren’t.

OK, fine. You want a “bargain”. How about this… Contact the developers of the two apps you want and say something like…

“Hey, I see you have your apps available on MacTheft and, while that is great and all, I really don’t need all eleven of them. I really only need two, your’s and this other guy’s. Therefore, I am contacting each of you to see if I could give you $7.50 cents directly.  I figure that is about 10 times more than you will get from my individual sale if I buy it through MacTheft. Also, I was planing on giving five dollars to the starving children too.”

What’s the worse they can say? No? 

My point is that you owe it to yourself to avoid these bargains and giveaways unless it is stuff you really need and plan on using. If not, you are still wasting your money, your time, and your attention no matter how much you pay.  Even if the price is “free”.