Author: Chris Tingom

Side projects are like comfort food for coders

An interesting post that I saw, and liked this part which I can relate to:

Excessive side projects. Side projects are like comfort food for coders. I’m a believer in doing a side project here and there to keep burnout at bay. Unfortunately, there was a period where I overdosed on them and was working on enough side projects to rival my real startup. I think it’s particularly easy to fall into this trap when your company is new but not brand new, i.e. traversing the Trough of Sorrow. Better to just suck it up and stay focused on product.

http://talkfast.org/2012/05/05/early-startup-time-wasters

Average number of hours people work in United States

The average work week in US is 43 hours. To be precise, it is on average 8.6 hours per day worked.

Working 11-12 hours is definitely not common. Of the few people I know who do it, all do it voluntarily.

People consistently overestimate the number of hours they work, particularly if they work more than 40.

Source: http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2011/06/art3full.pdf

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This is a really clever song from Sesame Street that is one of their Pinball Number Count videos. Sesame Street started making these videos in the late 1970s. One funny comment on the YouTube page suggest that “today’s Sesame Street was brought to you by the letters L S D.” Haha.

This is the funkiest song EVER! listen to the guy playing the bass. pure funk! if I could play the bass, this would be the only song I played.

Qlocktwo

TIME IN WORDS

features a uniform grid of 110 letters, which it uses to display phrases like “It is half past nine” whenever you press the side-mounted stainless steel button. Other features include a square brushed stainless steel casing in natural or black, the ability to show the calendar day or seconds — with two and three presses of the single button, respectively — and a rubber or leather strap.

What causes burnout?

This is so true: Burnout is caused by resentment

When people have to make sacrifices for work – like missing their child’s soccer game – they end up being resentful. She is proactive with her employees to make sure they don’t experience lots of resentment-causing activities. If being at tuesday night dinner with friends is the one thing you need to keep you happy, you should be there every week.

Monthly Knuckles – Use your knuckles to remember each month’s days

Video: How To Use Your Knuckles To Remember the Number Of Days in Each Month

If you don’t have a calendar on hand, here’s an easy way to figure out which months have 31 days and which have 30:

  • Count the months on your knuckles and the grooves between your knuckles. Leave out your thumb knuckle.
  • Every month that lands on a knuckle is 31 days, every month that lands on a groove between knuckles is 30 days (or 28 for February).

Starting with your forefinger’s knuckle:
1st knuckle: Jan (31 days)
Groove: Feb (28 or 30 days)
2nd knuckle: March (31 days)
Groove: April (30 days)
3rd Knuckle: May (31 days)
Groove: June (30 days)
4th Knuckle: July (31 days)

Returning to first knuckle (the forefinger, remember–skip the thumb knuckle)

1st Knuckle: August (31 days)
Groove: September (30 days)
2nd Knuckle: October (31 days)
Groove: November (30 days)
3rd Knuckle: December (31 days)

Instead of moving right to left by starting with your forefinger, you could also start with your pinkie’s knuckle and move left to right. Still works out the same.

How to graduate college faster

How to graduate college faster

Instead of using some elaborate organizing system, I stuck with a very basic pen and paper to-do list. My only organizing tool was a notepad where I wrote down all my assignments and their deadlines. I didn’t worry about doing any advance scheduling or prioritizing. I would simply scan the list to select the most pressing item which fit the time I had available. Then I’d complete it, and cross it off the list.

If I had a 10-hour term paper to write, I would do the whole thing at once instead of breaking it into smaller tasks. I’d usually do large projects on weekends. I’d go to the library in the morning, do the necessary research, and then go back to my dorm room and continue working until the final text was rolling off my printer. If I needed to take a break, I would take a break. It didn’t matter how big the project was supposed to be or how many weeks the professor allowed for it. Once I began an assignment, I would stay with it until it was 100% complete and ready to be turned in.