Thoughts on Twikini

If I were to chart out how often I’ve blogged since first jumping on the bandwagon five years ago, I think it’d look something like this:

It's gotten so bad it's negative blogging

I intend to get back into blogging one day. But for the time being, you’ll find me on Twitter. Maybe I’ll find you there too. To keep up with Twitter on the go, I’ve been using a Windows Mobile app called Twikini.

Twikini has an interesting way to pay for it. To keep using the app after the 14-day trial, either you can give them $5, or you can write up a blog post with your thoughts and keep using it for free. Hopefully, in the long run, this post goes further than 500 pennies would have.

Because who wouldn't want to know what Ryan Seacrest is up to?

To be honest, if there’s any been a Windows Mobile App that’s worth paying for, it’s probably this one. So far, Twikini has been a model for how mobile apps should be done on that platform.

• It’s fast, and doesn’t lock up your device if left running
• It has an Exit command (THANK you!)
• It has clear keyboard shortcuts
• It has options
• It has themes
• It looks nice

The only thing that could make my experience better would be if there was a companion app to Twikini on my desktop or on the web, that kept my read tweets in sync. Kind of like how some RSS feed readers work. But as is, Twikini on my phone and TweetDeck on my computer has been nothing short of a great overall experience to me.

Neighborhood politics

Fun fact of the day:

President-elect Obama lived in my neighborhood, Capitol Hill, briefly as a baby:

http://www.capitolhilltimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=26&SubSectionID=248&ArticleID=27447

As you can see, I’m digging pretty deep for reasons to get past the gloomy weather here right now. Seriously Seattle, why do you hate sun so?

Weather Update

The weather in parts of Siberia is currently better than it is in Seattle.

Halfway there to 2009

It’s been so long since I’ve posted I don’t even know where to begin! Hopefully just diving right in is the best thing to do, because that’s the approach I’m going to try.

It feels like we’re still fresh into the new year, but in another twenty days or so we’ll be halfway through 2008. Amazing! Having a work routine, combined with the lack of a life change every four months that co-ops used to give, has really made time fly. I started the year with some commitments to keep on top of the quickly changing calendar, and I’m interested in how they’ve panned out so far.

Reading

This year I’ve finished reading eight books, which places me about three months behind in the 50-book challenge. Doh! From what I have finished so far, though, I’ve had the good luck to have some really great reads. Since the last blog post, it’s been all winners:

• Flow
• Microserfs
• The Hobbit
• The Tipping Point
• Learning to See Creatively

I’ll be writing about them soon.

Hobbies

I bought a new DSLR camera earlier this year and photography’s been a fun new hobby. I’ve set up a Flickr account and hope to post to this blog about some of what I’ve learned so far.

Weight training isn’t much of a hobby, but for a few months this year I worked out with a personal trainer, so that definitely made it an interest. Unfortunately, the learned mental discipline outweighed the tangible benefits, and I need a more flexible routine, so I’m back to training alone and hopefully well on my way to returning to my natural Greek-God like physique. Right.

Travel

My trip home to Toronto was the first after a year and a half, and man did it feel good to be back. It was definitely great because of the people – my friends, my family – but I realized how much I miss being in a big city. And it sure was reinforced when I visited New York City over Memorial Day weekend. I love New York. And I loved every minute of my trip. More on that soon.

What Else?

A lot else, I suppose, but it’s time for this writer to head to bed. Feels good to be hitting the post button again, though. Hope all is amazing on your end.

2008 Book #3 – America (The Book)

A history textbook isn’t something you usually read cover to cover. But I guess when Jon Stewart’s behind it, that changes everything. So my third book of 2008 was America (The Book) by Jon Stewart and the Staff of the Daily Show.

Personally, I had mixed opinions about this one. Like the Daily Show, it was hilarious, and also like the Daily Show, it made me learn more about US politics than I’ve ever learned from CNN.

But that’s just the problem: because it’s neither a purely comedic read nor serious educational material, it can’t really nail either arena whole-heartedly. You might learn more from an actual textbook, and you’ll probably laugh more by reading Dave Barry.

Overall, I’d say it’s worth a shot for its bits of genius. I really liked the introduction by Fake Thomas Jefferson, about the constitution and the forming of America. So here’s what to do: read the first few chapters next time you’re at the bookstore. If you’re a big fan of the show, stick around for the rest, otherwise I don’t think you’ll miss too much.

Proud Moment

A dear friend of mine got her photo of Seattle front-paged on Seattlest! And she calls herself a “beginning” photographer. Please.

(Congrats TZ!)

Link:
http://seattlest.com/2008/02/28/seattlest_pix_0_203.php

2008 Book #2 – Leadership

I read this book in the January, way before Rudy Guiliani stepped down in his bid for president. But even then I had mixed opinions about him and how he was running his campaign. Nevertheless, I gave it a shot because it came highly recommended from Ahmed, so my second book of 2008 was Leadership, by Rudolph W. Guiliani.

Immediately after finishing the book, I definitely felt moved by the author’s account of 9/11, and inspired to work hard and become a strong leader. So, to his credit, I think Mr. Guiliani’s got an incredible ability to communicate persuasively, and it shows in his writing.

Once the immediate impact wore off and I thought some more, it did feel a little like the book might be a slightly biased account in favor of the author. I guess it’d be an exaggeration to say that Guiliani presents himself like a character in an Ayn Rand book, but he definitely does paint himself to be a downright amazing guy. And to write a book on leadership by using yourself as the prime example is definitely a whole new level of boastful versus, say, a Wings of Fire by Abdul Kalam.

Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read and there are some good takeaways about leadership. Forget for a moment any prejudgments you have about the author or his politics, take it as a collection of good anecdotes about leadership, and you might have a good experience with this book. Recommended.

2008 Book #1 – Batman: Year One

I’ve only finished four books so far this year, one of which was a graphic novel and another a satire of a history textbook. Reading is reading, right?

Well, in the case of the graphic novel, I think it was good enough to stand its ground against the full-length novels I’ve read so far this year. Book one of my 2008 list was Batman: Year One, written by Frank Miller.

This is one of first graphic novels I’ve ever read, and I wasn’t let down. If you thought Sin City was slick, or liked Batman Begins, then I think you won’t be let down by the comic the latter was based off of. It has the same feel, except the novel seems more violent, dark, and perhaps even more powerful. Recommended.

Memory Card Volume Label Lifehack

I’m fantastic at losing things.

A few weeks back I almost lost my camera, which is about the size of a flip-phone and so a prime candidate for being misplaced.

Here’s a trick I thought of while formatting its memory card: set it’s volume label to your phone number.

That way, if you lose your camera and someone pops the memory card in their computer, the first thing they’ll see is your digits:

(At least on Windows; not sure what the UI is on a Mac. Richard?)

Granted, this isn’t as foolproof as writing the number right on the camera (or not losing it in the first place). But hey, it doesn’t take much effort, you can do it once and forget about it, and you might give the good samaritan who found/bozo who stole your camera a twinge of Jason Bourne-like excitement at finding your digits like that. Well, maybe.

Happy photo taking.

2007 – The Last 3 Books

So as not to devote an entire post to last year’s stuff, I’ll make it a 3-for-1 deal. My last three books of 2007 were:

1. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Canon Doyle
2. The Now Habit, by Neil Fiore
3. Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul, by Various Authors

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was a fantastic read. My most meaningful experience with Sherlock Holmes stories before that was the Chipmunks version of one of them, so I admit that I didn’t quite know what to expect. But I was blown away.

Aside from the great storytelling and character development, one thing that struck me the most: for a book this old, the writing didn’t feel dated. It was certainly clear that you were reading about an older time, but I felt like it could have just as easily been a present-day author writing about the past.

The Now Habit is a book on overcoming procrastination that, ironically enough, took me two years to get around to reading. Its premise is that procrastination is not some inherent character defect, but a symptom of some general insecurities such as perfectionism in work that can be addressed through establishing good habits. An interesting read, and very highly recommended for anyone struggling with procrastination.

Finally, Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul was Sis’ get-well-soon gift to me when I broke my wrist. I suppose I should criticize this book for being too mushy and not include it on my 07 reading list, but I think it earned it’s spot. For every 4-5 overly emotional and stupid stories, there was usually one that really got my attention and made me feel pretty good. As a way to finish off my first year of reading outside school, I guess that can’t be so bad.