William F. Buckley Jr., 1925-2008
Posted by Paul Mayson on February 27, 2008
Mr. Buckley shown here in the office of his Stamford, Connecticut home in 2005. Obituary and slideshow from The New York Times.
Jonathan Coulton’s Gear on TWiT
Posted by Paul Mayson on February 25, 2008Jonathan “JoCo” Coulton, musician and Internet supa-star, appeared on TWiT this week. Indeed it was a love-fest but Ryan Block from Engadget came through with the goods when he asked “JoCo” about his gear. For anyone looking to quit their day job, shake up the music business, build a dedicated following, and have a career doing what they love, read on.
O.S. Approved Links for Friday, 2-21-08
Posted by Paul Mayson on February 22, 2008Some links we found around the web covering everything from coworking to your dream office…
- It’s Time for Your Dream Office! — youthedesigner.com has a killer article for anyone with a home office that continues to fall short in one area or another. Though I don’t adhere to all the advice (like “Try not to eat in your office”), overall it’s a good list of tips (nice pictures too).
- NYT’s Coworking Article - Don’t have the corporate cubicle? Can’t stand working alone at home? Coffee shop too - well, it’s a coffee shop. Good news! Now you can grab your laptop and shack up with some strangers!
- Blogging Inspirado from Copyblogger - If you’re starting your first blog or on your 50th, check this out. Good stuff to keep in mind this time around.
- Feel good moment… be proud of yourself! This could be your office:
HappyLight fights S.A.D.
Posted by Paul Mayson on February 20, 2008
I recently visited a client in her home office and was intrigued by something called the “HappyLight
Apparently, a number of folks (the manufacturer claims 10%) suffer from a lack of energy, depression, or find their motivation at record lows during the winter months. It’s called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The light is there to deliver “sunlight” without the nasty UV badness.
Being captain curious, I looked up “SAD” and it’s a fairly common thing in not only the U.S. but Ireland, Scandinavia, and Iceland. I don’t think I suffer from this, but maybe I’d be the last to know. I’ve always liked working in a dimmer space and the HappyLight’s glow hurt my eyes. I couldn’t wait to turn it off. Maybe that’s because I’m really just part mole-man.
How do you deal with the winter months? Same as the summer months? Maybe you’re a HappyLight devotee. If so, let’s hear about it!
David Allen at Google
Posted by Paul Mayson on February 18, 2008Did you ever want to sit in on a David Allen seminar to get the GTD skinny from the source? Well, you can! Here’s a seminar he did at Google…
“David Allen speaks on GTD and the two keys to sustaining a healthy life and work style. “
Office tour: Andy Rooney
Posted by Paul Mayson on February 6, 2008Andy Rooney’s organization system would make “GTD’ers” cry in their Moleskine notebooks, but it works for him. The man’s a legend and wildly successful! Your inbox may be at zero and all of your lists have a proper context, but where did it get you? Check out the clip and then stop worrying so much about your how you get things done and just do something…
Office SnapShot: OfficeSpacey
Posted by Paul Mayson on February 3, 2008Seems appropriate that the first featured OfficeSpacey “SnapShot” is my own set up (click it for larger image). Last year we moved out of a tiny Manhattan apartment that had two 10′ x 10′ rooms. One for sleeping, and the other for everything else. In the new living quarters, we have mucho space-o. So much space that I have options. In the last 12 months I have been set up on the first floor (too noisy), then the basement (unfinished and too depressing), and now an empty upstairs bedroom (just right?). I like this the best so far. It’s not as quiet as I’d like, but so far it’s the best option. Here’s the cockpit…
Inspirado.
Posted by Paul Mayson on February 1, 2008Hello, World!
In May 2007, Time Magazine featured a photo of an office-bound Vice President Al Gore, and it landed on a ton of different websites. The productivity folks at Lifehacker, the Engadget set, the Apple faithful, and interior designers basked in the glow of the Vice President’s monitors while close to 2000 Diggers dug away. Who am I to not get caught up in the wonder that is Al’s office?
For the past 7 years I’ve advised a group of clients on technology helping them choose the right gear and set it up, organize their offices and systems, and put together websites that they could update, maintain, and use to promote their work. So when a photo like this comes along, it’s not just a fun, “make your own caption” opportunity, it’s a case study. Even typing this post, I glaze over at the mountains of paper and the three 30″ displays.
The great thing: I wasn’t alone. Read more
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