Zuckerberg vs. Thoreau
Portfolio has an interesting article by Simon Dumenco about Facebook's impact on CEOs. Basically, the main thrust of the piece is a comment by tech CEO Michael Fertick:
This really stood out to me, in large part because it so closely echoes a similar theory my college roommate Katie and I formulated circa 2004:
Granted, we were looking for prospective dates, rather than business partners or employees. And, of course, it's a complete generalization-- I can think of a number of compelling, descriptive, and well-filled-out Facebook profiles of genuinely cool people I know. But most of the time I feel more comfortable keeping my Facebook profile a bit, well, lower profile.
Maybe it all goes back to the first time I read Walden (to this day, one of my favorite books, although it isn't listed on my Facebook profile as such.) Among many of the highlighted, underlined passages in my nearly 10-year-old copy:
Makes you wonder what Thoreau would say about Twitter, no?
“There's almost an inverse relationship between seriousness and how much you participate in social networking."
This really stood out to me, in large part because it so closely echoes a similar theory my college roommate Katie and I formulated circa 2004:
"The length of your Facebook profile is inversely proportional to how cool you are."
Granted, we were looking for prospective dates, rather than business partners or employees. And, of course, it's a complete generalization-- I can think of a number of compelling, descriptive, and well-filled-out Facebook profiles of genuinely cool people I know. But most of the time I feel more comfortable keeping my Facebook profile a bit, well, lower profile.
Maybe it all goes back to the first time I read Walden (to this day, one of my favorite books, although it isn't listed on my Facebook profile as such.) Among many of the highlighted, underlined passages in my nearly 10-year-old copy:
"Society is commonly
too cheap. We meet at very short intervals, not having had time to acquire any
new value for each other... We meet at the post-office,
and at the sociable, and about the fireside every night; we live thick and are
in each other's way, and stumble over one another, and I think that we thus
lose some respect for one another. Certainly less frequency would suffice for
all important and hearty communications."
Makes you wonder what Thoreau would say about Twitter, no?
Feed me
So after weeks of slaving away, hunched over my laptop poring over code*, you can now add my blog to your RSS readers! The moment you've all been waiting for! Just click on the little purple link at the bottom of this page that says "Subscribe to feed." I personally like using Google Reader.
*AKA occasionally looking over the shoulder of the very brilliant guy who added RSS capabilities to my blog in about 1.5 total hours of work
*AKA occasionally looking over the shoulder of the very brilliant guy who added RSS capabilities to my blog in about 1.5 total hours of work
Certain gentlemen of other days...
I went out for a few rounds of drinks last night for a friend's birthday, and was reminded of an inscription in the Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book:
'Recalling certain gentlemen of other days, who made of drinking one of the pleasures of life-- not one of its evils; who achieved content long ere capacity was reached or overtaxed; and who, whatever they drank, proved able to carry it, keep their heads and remain gentlemen, even in their cups. Their example is commended to their posterity.'
It's not very often that I go out on Friday nights-- and I consider myself someone who really thrives on social interaction. I think the above quotation, and the fact that it is recalling an earlier time and obviously not the present, could have something to do with this. What is up, these days, of gentlemen, and ladies, who are well into their legal drinking years and not yet knowing their limits or proving "able to carry it"?
N.B. I am very happy to report that the friends in our party were all of the sort that make drinking "one of the pleasures of life." Happy birthday, Jeff!
'Recalling certain gentlemen of other days, who made of drinking one of the pleasures of life-- not one of its evils; who achieved content long ere capacity was reached or overtaxed; and who, whatever they drank, proved able to carry it, keep their heads and remain gentlemen, even in their cups. Their example is commended to their posterity.'
It's not very often that I go out on Friday nights-- and I consider myself someone who really thrives on social interaction. I think the above quotation, and the fact that it is recalling an earlier time and obviously not the present, could have something to do with this. What is up, these days, of gentlemen, and ladies, who are well into their legal drinking years and not yet knowing their limits or proving "able to carry it"?
N.B. I am very happy to report that the friends in our party were all of the sort that make drinking "one of the pleasures of life." Happy birthday, Jeff!
Keeping up with the Ephrons
So, I have mixed feelings about writing a totally consumer-oriented blog post in an economy like the current one, but at least I have someone to blame for it: Mindy Ephron (aka Mindy Kaling aka Vera Chokalingam).
For whatever reason, she has not updated her amazing, addictive blog in over 2 months-- and I am going through serious withdrawals! In its absence, here is my own starter list of Things I've Bought That I Love.
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock, SPF 70
In the words of Ms. Kaling herself: Oh my God, you guys. This stuff has completely changed my life since I first discovered it in Walgreens last year. For, like, 10 bucks a bottle (which lasts for months) I can hang out in the sun all day without doubling the freckles on my nose! What a concept.
Seriously: even though I vowed three years ago at the age of 21 (while on vacation in the Greek Isles, of all places) that I had officially gotten my last tan, ever, I am still always worried about the wrinkles, sunspots, melanoma, and worse that could result from my youthful sun-related indiscretions. Wearing this stuff every day makes me feel like I'm atoning for those foolish years my Anglo self was trying to keep up with the "golden tan in time for prom" standard set by all those beautiful, olive-skinned Italian girls that populated my high school back in Western PA.
Maybelline Express Finish nail polish in Blushing Bride
I was turned off the first time I tried Maybelline Express Finish nail polish in the late 90's-- I thought the 60 second drying time didn't make up for its dullness and terrible staying power. Oh my God, you guys. If you doubted this stuff at first, you must RE-CON-SI-DER. I bought a bottle of Express Finish earlier this year in a manic rush en route to a meeting when my nails were just a plain-looking mess. I'm happy to say I finally discovered the key to Express Finish love: buying the right, neutral, sheer color.
In the months since I made this re-discovery, I'll be damned if I'm ever *not* sporting Express Finish on my finger nails (for toenails, I defer to professional help.) It lives up to the claims of taking just 60 seconds to dry, and even if it does chip a bit after day 2 or 3, the color is so neutral that imperfections aren't all that noticeable. If you'd like to have shiny, pretty nails all the time, but think you are too busy for anything but the dreaded "bony, unpolished" fingers of Selma Blair's character in Legally Blonde, this stuff is so for you.
Clif Builder's Bar Protein Bar
Numbers are worth a thousand words:
270 calories
20 grams of protein
And DELICIOUS. Like, light-years beyond any protein-heavy bar made thus far by the likes of Pro-Max. I have probably eaten an average of 5 Builder's Bars per week since they hit shelves earlier this year, and have not gotten sick of them yet. My personal faves: peanut butter and vanilla almond. Yummmm, protein.
For whatever reason, she has not updated her amazing, addictive blog in over 2 months-- and I am going through serious withdrawals! In its absence, here is my own starter list of Things I've Bought That I Love.
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock, SPF 70
In the words of Ms. Kaling herself: Oh my God, you guys. This stuff has completely changed my life since I first discovered it in Walgreens last year. For, like, 10 bucks a bottle (which lasts for months) I can hang out in the sun all day without doubling the freckles on my nose! What a concept.
Seriously: even though I vowed three years ago at the age of 21 (while on vacation in the Greek Isles, of all places) that I had officially gotten my last tan, ever, I am still always worried about the wrinkles, sunspots, melanoma, and worse that could result from my youthful sun-related indiscretions. Wearing this stuff every day makes me feel like I'm atoning for those foolish years my Anglo self was trying to keep up with the "golden tan in time for prom" standard set by all those beautiful, olive-skinned Italian girls that populated my high school back in Western PA.
Maybelline Express Finish nail polish in Blushing Bride
I was turned off the first time I tried Maybelline Express Finish nail polish in the late 90's-- I thought the 60 second drying time didn't make up for its dullness and terrible staying power. Oh my God, you guys. If you doubted this stuff at first, you must RE-CON-SI-DER. I bought a bottle of Express Finish earlier this year in a manic rush en route to a meeting when my nails were just a plain-looking mess. I'm happy to say I finally discovered the key to Express Finish love: buying the right, neutral, sheer color.
In the months since I made this re-discovery, I'll be damned if I'm ever *not* sporting Express Finish on my finger nails (for toenails, I defer to professional help.) It lives up to the claims of taking just 60 seconds to dry, and even if it does chip a bit after day 2 or 3, the color is so neutral that imperfections aren't all that noticeable. If you'd like to have shiny, pretty nails all the time, but think you are too busy for anything but the dreaded "bony, unpolished" fingers of Selma Blair's character in Legally Blonde, this stuff is so for you.
Clif Builder's Bar Protein Bar
Numbers are worth a thousand words:
270 calories
20 grams of protein
And DELICIOUS. Like, light-years beyond any protein-heavy bar made thus far by the likes of Pro-Max. I have probably eaten an average of 5 Builder's Bars per week since they hit shelves earlier this year, and have not gotten sick of them yet. My personal faves: peanut butter and vanilla almond. Yummmm, protein.
