Today I realized how much I use Google Docs, and started to get scared. Your servers might crash, or corrupt my documents, or you might shut down your service. So I decided to download copies of all my documents off of Google Docs so I'll at least have something should that day come.
So I went to docs.google.com, and clicked the box above my list of documents, then I looked for something like a "Download" option. I quickly found it under the "More" menu, and immediately it offered to convert all of my documents to the new Office format, and .zip them all up and download them to my computer. It also gave me the option of converting them to PDF files.
The .zip file is 3 MB, and contains 88 files. The ones I opened look fine. Suddenly I love Google Docs way more than ever before. Flexibility of formats? No lock in? Ease of use? You are amazing.
Thank you for a terrific service. I hope the relatively few times I click on your ads is somehow worth all the value you give to me.
Warmest regards,
Bryan
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Monday, December 24, 2012
Murders way down in NYC
This ambush in NYC sounds pretty awful...
But are we sure things are really getting worse? Check out this article from a month back.
In fact, much of life seems to be improving.
Good to remember how blessed we are as we end the year.
But are we sure things are really getting worse? Check out this article from a month back.
In fact, much of life seems to be improving.
Good to remember how blessed we are as we end the year.
Getting a new iOS device?
Just a quick tip for anyone getting a new iOS device (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) for Christmas:
Everyone in a single family should use the same iTunes Store account (Settings -> iTunes and App Stores), but each individual should have their own iCloud account (Settings -> iCloud).
That ensures that you all get to share the same media (videos, songs and apps), but the separated iCloud accounts lets you each have your own contacts lists, calendars, reminders, etc.
Many people make the mistake of all signing into the same iCloud account and quickly find out that their contacts and calendars, etc., all sync up and make a mess.
The harder problem is if the device is for a child, since the minimum age for iCloud accounts is 13. I can't find any recommendations for this on the net, so my best guess is to lock down the phone with restrictions, limit Safari, iTunes, iBookstore, installing apps, and explicit language -- all with a passcode that only you know. And don't install YouTube, Google Search, Vimeo, and any other video- or web-searching apps. If you want them to be able to watch videos, consider Netflix' "Just for kids", or WeetWoo (an app that's basically a directory of clean YouTube videos). You'll want to monitor your kids carefully too, remember my post about allowing a crippled mind to poison itself? Lots of mental and emotional poison on the internet, and people can be pretty awful about discerning it, especially kids.
Merry Christmas!
Everyone in a single family should use the same iTunes Store account (Settings -> iTunes and App Stores), but each individual should have their own iCloud account (Settings -> iCloud).
That ensures that you all get to share the same media (videos, songs and apps), but the separated iCloud accounts lets you each have your own contacts lists, calendars, reminders, etc.
Many people make the mistake of all signing into the same iCloud account and quickly find out that their contacts and calendars, etc., all sync up and make a mess.
The harder problem is if the device is for a child, since the minimum age for iCloud accounts is 13. I can't find any recommendations for this on the net, so my best guess is to lock down the phone with restrictions, limit Safari, iTunes, iBookstore, installing apps, and explicit language -- all with a passcode that only you know. And don't install YouTube, Google Search, Vimeo, and any other video- or web-searching apps. If you want them to be able to watch videos, consider Netflix' "Just for kids", or WeetWoo (an app that's basically a directory of clean YouTube videos). You'll want to monitor your kids carefully too, remember my post about allowing a crippled mind to poison itself? Lots of mental and emotional poison on the internet, and people can be pretty awful about discerning it, especially kids.
Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 23, 2012
The linchpin
I'm very saddened by the events in Connecticut.
----
The Israelis have an interesting situation -- war is at their doorstep, they can't afford as much time/energy put into mourning and compassion. Similarly, as a father of little ones (including a 6-year old), my mind quickly turns to what could and should be done about it.
As a very wise friend* once taught me, bad situations are almost never a consequence of a single decision. They're usually a result of a sequence of poor decisions.
Knowing very little as we do at this point, I'm guessing in this case that list might look something like this:
Probably a significant improvement in any of the above would've changed the outcome here. But now, much of the talk is about the individual items in this list (esp. #1 thru #5), that each thing is very common in society and isn't correlated with violence. But has anyone looked at correlations against multiple conditions?
My guess is that in this case the problem is #3 and #5 together. I have seen each of my kids mimic things they see on tv. Boys especially are very good at inserting their minds into the storyline. A few times I've played FPS games, and each time I've left feeling like it was an mentally/emotionally dangerous thing to do, that I had to switch off an important part of my brain just to play it.
Media is automated storytelling. The reason we tell stories as humans is to teach us accurate consequences of actions so we can learn from others' experience (see this terrific article on the "Rules of Story", what makes a good story and why). Better stories are more accurate and applicable to life. Bad stories encourage immoral or unethical behavior by showing few (or positive) consequences of that behavior. I bet Adam got very little "accuracy" (by volume) from his media, and his mind was less able to discern the fallacy of it.
The more I think about it, the more I think the linchpin here was the parents allowing a crippled mind to poison itself.
* Shoutout to JCSH =)
----
The Israelis have an interesting situation -- war is at their doorstep, they can't afford as much time/energy put into mourning and compassion. Similarly, as a father of little ones (including a 6-year old), my mind quickly turns to what could and should be done about it.
As a very wise friend* once taught me, bad situations are almost never a consequence of a single decision. They're usually a result of a sequence of poor decisions.
Knowing very little as we do at this point, I'm guessing in this case that list might look something like this:
- Broken home
- Strained relationships
- Mental condition
- Accessible weapons
- Violent media (movies, video games)
- Vulnerability of schools
Probably a significant improvement in any of the above would've changed the outcome here. But now, much of the talk is about the individual items in this list (esp. #1 thru #5), that each thing is very common in society and isn't correlated with violence. But has anyone looked at correlations against multiple conditions?
My guess is that in this case the problem is #3 and #5 together. I have seen each of my kids mimic things they see on tv. Boys especially are very good at inserting their minds into the storyline. A few times I've played FPS games, and each time I've left feeling like it was an mentally/emotionally dangerous thing to do, that I had to switch off an important part of my brain just to play it.
Media is automated storytelling. The reason we tell stories as humans is to teach us accurate consequences of actions so we can learn from others' experience (see this terrific article on the "Rules of Story", what makes a good story and why). Better stories are more accurate and applicable to life. Bad stories encourage immoral or unethical behavior by showing few (or positive) consequences of that behavior. I bet Adam got very little "accuracy" (by volume) from his media, and his mind was less able to discern the fallacy of it.
The more I think about it, the more I think the linchpin here was the parents allowing a crippled mind to poison itself.
* Shoutout to JCSH =)
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Random thoughts
My life is officially full — my inbox-of-life has not stopped growing since my son was born. The stack of unanswered emails, unfinished projects, and unread magazines are all simultaneously growing despite my best efforts.
What does one do in this situation? Prioritize! Be sure to do the most important stuff first. As one would expect, blogging is a ways down on that list...
But I've had a bunch of things on my mind lately and I'd like to get them out:
What does one do in this situation? Prioritize! Be sure to do the most important stuff first. As one would expect, blogging is a ways down on that list...
But I've had a bunch of things on my mind lately and I'd like to get them out:
- The iPhone 5 - Taller, lighter, faster — a miracle of modern engineering. Everything I loved about my old phone, and a bit better.
- Apple - One of Steve Jobs' earliest mantras was that a brand is about trust. Apple under him never traded that trust for money, and the current management looks to carry on that legacy. There's an example for other companies (and individuals whose name is their brand) to follow.
- Age - Anybody else notice that they're getting older?
- Brain - Turns out I got one of the heaviest doses of anyone affected by the CT overdose problem. What are the odds that I get a migraine that looks like a stroke, and my first and only CT scan is an overdose? I've learned that getting an X-ray is like trying to see what's inside your car by putting it in front of a large white sheet, and shooting it full of holes with a machine gun, then looking at where the bullets made it through to hit the sheet. X-rays can burn or kill cells — I had really weird effects for weeks afterward, the effect of burning all that tissue. Cancer can happen when an X-ray happens to hit a piece of DNA just right to mess it up without killing it. Fortunately, I just had an MRI and it came back clean — no signs of brain cancer yet. Good news, though most cells in your brain grow very slowly, so I may have cancer, but might not know it for 10 or more years. By that time, we may have cancer figured out.
- Obama - Well, I think I was right. Really complicated healthcare reform was passed, but my healthcare costs continue to climb rapidly. Jobs, overall economy, deficits, foreign relations — I mostly hear blame of Bush and other excuses for the current state of affairs. He got Osama, but lost a few planes we didn't know existed. Other than that, most of the news I see about him relate to him hanging out with celebrities.
- Romney seems troubled. If I were him, I'd feel the same way. As Scott Adams says, "the electorate is full of idiots", and in order to win he has to tailor his remarks to whatever group he's talking to, which when taken as a whole looks almost like a different person talking. That's got to be stressful for a very principled person. But I get the feeling that most people don't want a principled person in office because they've come to distrust all principle. I hope he wins, he's obviously a man who knows how to accomplish his goals, and has the determination to do so, and has an amazing track record. But I also don't expect the election to even be close.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Who's losing jobs?
Interesting data on who lost the most jobs during the recession. Another good reason to get a college degree.
Someone mentioned in a church talk a couple years back that recessions happen every 8 years or so. The linked report confirms that's mostly true. That means we should expect another recession to start in the 2016-2018 timeframe, and another in 2024-2026.
We also know that people who graduate during a recession typically stay at lower salaries than those who graduate during a normal growth period, even many years on into their careers.
That means if your kids are scheduled to graduate during a recession, they should definitely consider an advanced degree, which will improve their earning potential, and keep them from starting into the workforce at a depressed salary.
Hopefully someone will figure out how to break that cycle.
Someone mentioned in a church talk a couple years back that recessions happen every 8 years or so. The linked report confirms that's mostly true. That means we should expect another recession to start in the 2016-2018 timeframe, and another in 2024-2026.
We also know that people who graduate during a recession typically stay at lower salaries than those who graduate during a normal growth period, even many years on into their careers.
That means if your kids are scheduled to graduate during a recession, they should definitely consider an advanced degree, which will improve their earning potential, and keep them from starting into the workforce at a depressed salary.
Hopefully someone will figure out how to break that cycle.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Carriers discourage iPhone
More evidence that the carriers discourage people from buying iPhones. Not surprising, their margins on Android and Windows phones are much higher.
Incidentally, the news keeps reporting that Apple has been losing ground to Android in the past couple months. Don't they know that Apple announces their new phones every year in the fall?
Incidentally, the news keeps reporting that Apple has been losing ground to Android in the past couple months. Don't they know that Apple announces their new phones every year in the fall?
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