Archives: February 2008

Decorating Ideas

I’m thinking of buying some large prints for some huge empty white spaces in my house. I’m not sure how they’ll work out and I’d like some feedback from my readers. Below are thumbs that link to the larger images of what these things look like. The sizes of the prints are 6’x4’.  Thoughts?

Florence Duomo     Colosseo     fineart

The Great E-Mail Cleanup of 2008

Today I read an article from 2006 that was posted on LifeHacker that gave tips on how to keep a clean inbox. Keeping a clean inbox is supposed to keep you motivated and reduces stress. I think it will also help me to keep on top of what really needs my attention. To rank this job in terms of daily email volume, I would say this is #2 out of the 3 jobs I’ve had.

The most work involved in this new email policy that I’m undertaking was going through all the emails in my inbox currently. I had 2,600+ emails just chilling in there. Now, you’re probably thinking, “why didn’t he file those away in folders like normal people do?” Good question. The answer is, I have folders and I do file items away. These were all emails that I couldn’t necessarily file into a specific folder, I didn’t know if I should keep as FYI, or was too lazy to delete.

Anyway, today I spent the whole afternoon going through my emails, deleting and moving them like a crazy person. Now, the only difference between my process and the process stated in the link above was that I have specific customer folders that I must keep separate from all other email. I have those specific ones setup and I use them regularly. Everything else will just go into the Archive folder. Oh, and since my company uses Lotus Notes, I had to name the folders 1-Archive, 1-Follow Up and 1-Hold so they would show up at the top of the folder listing.

Now I have an almost empty inbox and I’m kind of loving it. We’ll see how long it will last. Fingers crossed!

American Idol – David Archuleta

I really think this kid is going to go far in AI this season.  Even though the real competition doesn’t begin until Tuesday, he’s already one of my favorites.  Below are some YouTube clips of his auditions for AI as well as a video of him as a young kid performing a cappella for Season 1 American Idol contestants (recognize Kelly Clarkson?).

 

Nerdy Work Post – Lotus Notes

This is going to sound really nerdy but I am super excited because I now have the most up to date version of Lotus Notes (that my work provides) on my computer. It’s been a long time coming! Some of the features that I now have are listed below and these are the ones that I’ve been missing for over a year.

Lotus Notes

In the new version of Lotus Notes, I am able to do the following things:

  • Flag items for follow up (should be standard in all email programs, right?) Along with flagging, I can also see a list of items that need to be followed up on.
  • Assign colors to specific users/email addresses. This allows for greater visibility within the Lotus Notes inbox. Not necessary but handy.
  • View icons that show if the message has been replied. This is something that will save me in the future!

These are the most important features that I was without for over a year at work. I’m surprised I was even able to cope. I used to keep items that I needed to follow up on as unread. Not the best solution, but I made it work.

AZ Central Comments

You know how much I love reading these things!  Here’s one form this story.  So good.

>Straight people don’t go around
>announcing to the world that they
>are straight

Really? Do we not wear wedding rings? Tack photos of our families all over our office walls? Stand around the water cooler and complain about our husbands and wives? Send flowers to our spouses’ workplace on Valentine’s Day?

When gays do these things, they’re accused of “rubbing our noses in it.” When we do it, it’s business as usual.

Happy Birthday Arizona!

azseal.gif azflag.gif

Today Arizona is 96 years young.  I love my state for many reasons.  Below is a list of just a few.

  • The Sunsets (and sunrises, if you’re awake that early)
  • The Weather
  • The Grand Canyon
  • Sedona and Oak Creek Area
  • Flagstaff and the High Country
  • The “after rain” desert smell

If you’ve never been to this great state, you need to visit ASAP.  I’m always happy to talk about my state and I’d be happy to answer any questions.

Extras – A “Must See” British Comedy

What could be better than a show where real movie stars play themselves and, at the same time, don’t worry about looking like fools? Not much. That’s what makes Extras the best show you’re not watching. The show revolves around the two main characters and the different situations they are put in being extras on films and TV shows. If you’re a fan of “The Office,” you’ll most likely enjoy this show. Give it a chance. You can rent the seasons on DVD and catch new episodes on HBO. See the YouTube clip below for a sampling of the show.