A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. - Lao Tzu
Latest Posts
Dog Days Are Over
Lungs - Florence And The Machine
- Dog Days Are Over
- Kiss With A Fist
- Girl With One Eye
- Cosmic Love
- My Boy Builds Coffins
- You've Got The Love
Ooh La La
Supernature - Goldfrapp
- Ooh La La
- Lovely 2 C U
- Slide In
- Satin Chic
Eliminate Mouseovers And Tooltips
I don't like pop ups, tooltips, mouseover menus, and information popups used in the design of software and websites.
On Windows 95 and 98 I used a program called TweakUI to disable tooltips throughout the operating system, but I miss it when using Windows 7. So I don't think I have ever really liked tooltips or mouseovers, but having used iOS for a couple years now I feel even stronger about this. I feel that tooltips or anything that automatically pops up in a little window or changes the interface when you move your mouse over it is distracting to the user interface and gets in the way of the user interacting with the computer. I think if software and websites were designed completely without mouse rollover effects and tooltip popups that the user's experience with computers would benefit greatly.
Magnolia
On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a famous lost son, a police officer in love, a boy genius, an ex-boy genius, a game show host and an estranged daughter will each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots, but one story.
Ban Body Checking From Hockey
While some physical contact will always be accepted, I don't think there should be any deliberate hitting or body checking allowed at any level of hockey including the NHL, and so deliberately body checking or hitting other players should be banned.
Introduction
Being able to deliberately hit someone as hard as you can should be completely taken out of hockey at all levels. In fact I think this idea is way overdue. To me, it's almost like stating the obvious at this point. I'm surprised I haven't heard more people suggest that body checking should be completely removed from hockey. Here's why.
Appreciate How Everything Is Now
They took all the trees, put 'em in a tree museum. Then they charged the people a dollar and a half just to see 'em. Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone? - Joni Mitchell
Begin With The End In Mind
Begin with the end of your task, goal, project, or dream in your mind by mentally envisioning it and creating a written description or picture of exactly what you want the end result to look like when the project or vision is completed.
- To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination.
- It means to know where you're going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.
- "Begin with the end in mind" is based on the principle that all things are created twice.
- There's a mental or first creation, and a physical or second creation to all things.
- Take the construction of a home, for example.
- You create it in every detail before you ever hammer the first nail into place.
- You try to get a very clear sense of what kind of house you want.
Rounded Rectangles Law
I think it may be best to make all hardware and software buttons and elements slightly rounded squares and rectangles instead of circles or pill shaped stadiums, except for uncommon elements with a specific purpose like circular dials or gauges.
What
- Circles or round images may be better for looking at or more pleasing to the eye for untouchable objects, and can make some of the better looking logos or icons, which can be used within certain buttons or key elements to label some of them with a pleasing image
- Slightly rounded squares and rectangles may be better for encapsulating information and selecting items or touchable objects within practically all user interface elements such as buttons, keys, menu items, tabs, dropdowns, search boxes, etcetera
Why
- Most importantly, slightly rounded squares and rectangles are better shapes for clicking easily and efficiently using any input method, including precise ones like a mouse cursor
- They more accurately portray their clickable area and economically take up more usable surface area available to them, making them quicker to navigate with less missed clicks
- They fit together and look more natural next to each other while also resulting in less wasted space between them, or even no wasted space when connected with a thin line
- They more naturally and adequately fit various content like text and images of all shapes within their boundaries, allowing content to be larger and show more than in a circle
- They match each other better since all are similarly shaped, as well as the surrounding elements including boxes, panels, windows, or borders which cannot be circles or pills
- They are uniform objects with four equal corners, which are pleasing to the eye and natural looking as buttons or any other elements within the overall user interface
Create Folders In Google Docs
I think Google Docs and Sheets should both allow users to directly view, create, edit, and perform other actions on all folders and files within Google Drive, and display these folders as the primary tab or home page in the application, with recent documents a separate tab.
Change Dye & Durham Name
I wonder if Dye & Durham should change its name to a single, short, recognizable word that sounds like it's spelled, possibly with Inc or Software after brand name. I wonder if stock may have performed weakly at least partly due to the length and weakness of brand name.
Future Aliens Theory (Evolution)
Theory - There are currently no aliens, but humans may become the future aliens.
Long
Currently there are no aliens that have travelled to Earth, but in the future humans may create alien races if they colonize other planets, which may evolve into completely new species with their own prerogatives, just as different species or human factions on Earth have done.
September 1st, 2026
MacBook Air 2026 With A Twist
Imagine if Apple releases a newly redesigned thin and light MacBook Air with a twisting hinge like the Lenovo ThinkBook Twist, a touchscreen display possibly with 120Hz, and the first 2nm M6 chip in 2026, and saves the MacBook Pro touchscreen redesign for the M7 Pro in 2027.
Make Together, Not Make Richer
Imagine if the world wasn't about making a few people rich and monetizing everything, which makes many experiences worse. We could just work together to make and do stuff people need or want, which serves a purpose and is long-lasting, realizing everyone helps in their own way.
Dream Up A Better Way
I'm very intrigued by what a future society might look like, and what will keep those who are currently lucky enough to be smarter or stronger than others motivated, instead of profiting from others to get rich, when we make a better system than capitalism that benefits everyone.
Create School Subject Called Life
I think we should create a full class in secondary schools and a subject of classes in universities called Life, which teaches and simplifies life improvement and wellbeing skills to help make all people's lives and society as a whole better and happier.
What
- Productivity and Tasks - Getting Things Done, 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People
- Improvement and Goals - Think And Grow Rich, The Magic Of Thinking Big, Mindset
- Positivity and Happiness - The Power Of Positive Thinking, As A Man Thinketh
- Simplicity and Peace - Don't Sweat The Small Stuff, The Untethered Soul
- Routine and Habits - The Power Of Habit, Atomic Habits, Meditations
- Mindfulness and Focus - The Power Of Now, Flow, Wherever You Go There You Are
- Social and Relationships - How To Talk To Anyone, How To Win Friends And...
- Health and Fitness - Fitness For Dummies, Eat Drink And Be Healthy, Why We Sleep
June 8th, 2026
Do Whatever Makes Our Lives Better
Some of the people I find most fascinating have publicly straddled the line or gone back and forth between trying to improve work or productivity and life or wellbeing. I innately admire this kind of person, and I applaud anyone who wants to do things to makes our lives better.
- Leo Babauta - Created Zen Habits website and blog where he writes and teaches about productivity, improvement, and personal development, but also about being healthy, achieving happiness, and simplifying your life. (Zen Habits)
- Gina Trapani - Created LifeHacker website and blog where she straddled the line between writing about useful tips and tools to make life and work better, and works as a software developer and designer creating tools to make work and life better. (Note To Self)
- Derek Sivers - Created CD Baby business by following his technical interests after working as a musician following his artistic interests. Created Derek Sivers website blog and books to help people improve their life, work, music, and technology. (Derek Sivers)
- Belle Cooper - Created Hello Code business and works as a software developer making apps that help with journaling, logging, and keeping track of life and work. Writes and journals about life and work at various websites and her blog. (Belle B. Cooper)
- Tim Ferriss - Created The 4-Hour Workweek and Tools of Titans books focused on work and productivity, and The 4-Hour Body and 4-Hour Chef focused on life and health. Created and invests in businesses, and created educational podcast. (Tim Ferriss)
- Penelope Trunk - Created Penelope Trunk website and blog to write candidly and openly about all aspects of careers, education, life, and struggles. Teaches, coaches, and provides courses to help people with careers, education, life, and writing. (Penelope Trunk)
- Bill Gates - Created Microsoft business to improve work and productivity technology and software which made him a lot of money, and created a foundation to improve life and health resources and research which made him a lot of money. (Gates Notes)
- Oprah Winfrey - Created The Oprah Winfrey Show and subsequent media network that entertained people, but made the choice to also educate people with positive information and stories to make your life better, which made her rich and famous. (Oprah)
June 7th, 2026
Munro's Harder Law
Designing software is harder than hardware because changing it is easier.
Long
Designing simple and easy to use hardware is hard because changing it is harder, but designing simple and easy to use software is harder because changing it is easier.
Munro's Hard Law
Designing usable software is hard because not using usable standards is easy.
Long
Designing simple, consistent, and easy to use software is hard because carelessly changing or not using simple, consistent, and easy to use layouts and standards for software is easy.
Provide Information Without Location
I think Google and search engines may have lost their way when they started using people's location and providing localized results. I want to search the world for the best information when I search for something. If I want local results I'd include location in the search.
