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Paper Prototyping
The first thing I do when building any new piece of software is build a prototype. Many times, though, that prototype is on paper, not on the the computer. I’d much rather get all the kinks worked out before investing any time staring at a glowing screen wondering why X doesn’t do Y like it’s […]
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Do Something Worthwhile
This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to work with a few other volunteers at the local Habitat for Humanity work site. I’ve helped out there a few times in the past, and it’s awe-inspiring to see how far the various projects have gotten. Last October, I helped set the floor joists in the foundation […]
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Google Reader API – A Brief Tutorial
A few days ago, I asked a question on Stack Overflow regarding the Google Reader API. What I wanted to do was build a WordPress plug-in that would import my feeds from Google Reader into my dashboard. I’ve already pulled in my site statistics and Facebook, Google Reader is the last holdout keeping me from […]
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Patience
One of the most difficult lessons we learn in life is that of patience. It is inevitable that your patience will be tested, but even in the most trying of times we need to stay calm and clear-headed in order to overcome. This past weekend, I was once again reminded of the value of patience […]
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Do Members Subscribe?
Last weekend I came to the realization that my gym “membership” was, in reality, a service subscription. I have a membership at 24 Hour Fitness, and I love the convenience of being able to work out at any time of day, whenever works best for my schedule. Last month, 24 opened a new gym near […]
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Trust Issues
While I’d like to claim otherwise, I have some very significant issues with trust in my life. I find it difficult to place enough trust in others in just about any situation. I typically drive myself to activities (meetings and camping trips). I always bring my own supplies (be it a tent for camping or […]
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How Relevant is your Brand?
When I was recategorizing my posts last week (as part of my grand re-design), I came across one of my more interesting articles from last May regarding calculating your “Google score.” Today, I want to revisit that concept, but expand it to a broader audience and application. The question you should be asking isn’t “what’s […]
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Feed Me!
Last week, I really wanted a BLT. I kept thinking about the BLTA Croissant that Red Robin has on the menu, and I couldn’t get the idea of having such a tasty sandwich out of my head. Unfortunately, pay-day isn’t until tomorrow, so running out and paying the $9-some-odd for the sandwich was out of […]
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Work Ethic
On Monday I talked about last weekend’s bridge project from the context of communications within the workplace. But that illustration is so rich I just can’t leave it alone. Working on any project with multiple people and personalities will almost always lead to a self-lesson on work ethic. Last weekend was no different. We had […]
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Bridge to Somewhere
On Saturday, I had the opportunity to work with some Boy Scouts who were preparing Trojan Park for a huge camping trip next month. There were a total of 8 participants from my unit, and I saw another 60+ people working various projects around the park. My team ended up helping with a trail clearing […]