Project OrielEmbracing Change

Do you have trouble managing your inbox? Wish you could keep it from growing out of control? A quick survey of the team revealed that you regularly keep anywhere from 50 to over 500 emails in your inbox.

Merlin Mann of http://www.43folders.com recently gave a tech talk to Google employees (who often get 500 emails a day) on how to keep their inbox empty. I found that by following his ideas my own inbox has become much more manageable and more so – I feel productive when I do process my emails. I highly recommend taking 30 minutes out of your busy day and listen to how he does it!

Inbox Zero
“A special 43 Folders series looking at the skills, tools, and attitude needed to empty your email inbox — and then keep it that way.”

• Original 43 Folders Series
• Audio
• Slide Show

Just finished the book. It was good. Better than all the rest (save for maybe the first one). Most unexpected. The action was at a good pace, and I was happy with the ending – actually, it had a wonderfully strong ending to the series. It is refreshing to end with a bang, and not a whimper like so many series end up falling into. A bit long at 759 pages.

* The Laws of Simplicity. 1) The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction. 2) Organization makes a system of many appear fewer. 3) Savings in time feel like simplicity 4) Knowledge makes everything simpler. Plus 6 more: http://lawsofsimplicity.com/category/laws?order=ASC

* Sarah ran across this site that grades your house based on how many errand destinations are within walking distance. Ours came out at 40 (Not Walkable: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range and for most errands, driving is a must), but my sister’s apartment on Hennepin came in at 91 (Walkers’ Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many get by without owning a car). http://www.walkscore.com/

* Originally intended as a comment on the political process I think this quote applies equally well (if not better) to software creation: “We must prove that we are wise enough to control what we have been smart enough to create” — Al Gore, The Assault on Reason

* Jalapeño Popper recipes: http://www.jalapenocafe.com/recipes/poppers/poppers.html

* By mapping routes that minimize left turns, UPS cut 28 million miles from truck routes, saving roughly three million gallons of fuel last year. http://tinyurl.com/2d6uy6