paperforbreakfast:

ABCD #141: Positive reconceptualization.

(via bitterandcurt-deactivated202002)

macbethoff:

The Cornetto Trilogy Sticker set is now available in RedBubble! :)

(via thebritishteapot)

"Never be afraid to apologize to your child. If you lose your temper and say something in anger that wasn’t meant to be said, apologize. Children need to know that adults can admit when they are wrong."

American Humane Society  (via her0inchic)

(via verbalessence)

A Look Back on 2014

Usually at the end of the year, it feels like “oh okay another year passed - nothing special”. But this year felt different. This year, I felt like so much happened; I learned a lot, and I figured out more of what I want from the future. I’m really excited to graduate and be done with school so that I can relax, not worry about anything, and travel before I start work. But I’m also apprehensive about what it’ll feel like to be in that in-between stage and to start work. 

In the last 4 years of school, we’ve been in the safety bubble of “I’m in college and life starts after” or something like that. School, while hard sometimes, is still more of a buffer than the real world, and it gives you much more time off. You don’t have to deliver, you’ll just get bad grades. But what happens in the future when we’re working and time passes so much faster? If you don’t make clear goals, you won’t know what actions to take to get what you want, and life will pass you by. It can be easy to have a plan and follow through, but how does one exactly come up with things one wants? I’m scared because I don’t want to be stuck with a life that passes me by. Or rather, I don’t want to let it. 

There is certainly a lot to look forward to, and I’ve been dreaming (not of a white Christmas) about it for a while now. But I will have to make sure that I set goals and make sure that I’m doing well in my career as well as having fun, spending time with family, and learning new things.

Professors can be the most influential factor in how much you learn and enjoy a subject. I’ve had bad professors, I’ve had talkative professors, I’ve had professors who don’t give a shit. I’ve had phenomenal professors who could turn statistics into something interesting, and I’ve had passionate and knowledgable professors. I imagine this is the experience that many share. 

There’s a professor I have now who is quite possibly the weirdest professor I’ve ever had. In the first few classes, he swore at us and called us names. He called us lazy, said he was trying to do us good and prepare us for the world. He was basically an abusive boyfriend. A couple people dropped the class, but most of us were stuck, or were too lazy to find other courses in which to enroll. 

But after a few weeks of picking on people to take stabs at answering his questions, he started to show that he cared. He was a stickler for everything from sans serif fonts to subject lines in emails. Regardless, he took our opinions into consideration when we said quizzes were hard, and listened to each student’s case. When students had reason to turn in assignments late, he considered giving extensions - keeping in mind “classmate equity”, and he rewarded enthusiasm. 

This is the first communications class in which I have taken away real life knowledge, to be honest. Granted, it’s on broadband Internet - mostly the policy side - but we’ve also spent time on the tech side, and it’s interesting. I enjoy it when I can geek out with these subjects, and when professors can tell I am enthusiastic. The point is not to follow rules point for point, but to learn in whatever way suits us best, or to write in the way that conveys understanding of knowledge most concisely. I prefer to write with facts, not with fluff, to get to the point, and to report instead of editorialize. The topics we’re studying are complicated, and to add our own opinions at this level would be foolish. 

I was conflicted on whether you should judge a professor by what he says, or the actions that he takes to be considerate of his students. It is by no means acceptable for anyone to call me names, least not by a professor. But when you shoot the shit, I am learning in this class, and it is directly relevant to real life. That’s what matters. 

#STWM

This past Sunday, I conquered my first half marathon (the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half). It was my 8th race, and my 5th medal. On Monday, I registered for another race in April - an 8k.

I fully expected to train during the summer for the Scotia half, but things changed. I stopped training halfway through the summer after having worked up to about 12k. I resumed training about 5 weeks out from the race - did 3 long runs, and then tapered. I ran the entire half, and I couldn’t be more proud. My ankle decided it was about 80 years old that day, and gave me some serious joint pain from the 8k point onwards, but I pushed through it. 

I trained with a group in the summer, with a buddy before the race, and by myself here and there. During the race, I focused even when it hurt, and kept a consistent pace. I realized how easy it is to be swept up in my training buddy’s pace, but I knew from running alone that running is supposed to be a solo activity. Only you know how fast you should be, and can be, going. I wasn’t expecting to run the entire way, and I wasn’t expecting to pace faster than expected, but I was thrilled that I kept it up. 

A lot of people think full marathons are the ultimate test, but there’s something offered by each distance. To me, I really like the 5, 8, and 10k distances. They’re fast and easy to train for, but they still make you push. You may be running less, but you have to do it faster. Training to shave time off of a 5k isn’t easy; I’ve gotten the exact same time before, and it’s no fun. 

I think doing each distance is a great learning experience. In the short time I had to train, I learned how my body responds to the higher mileage, and how important it is for me to focus on recovery. It wasn’t “maybe I’ll stretch”, it was “I have to stretch, foam roll, and take protein powder” so I don’t lose muscle. I have not always been consistent in my training or in my races, but you can’t be inconsistent when running 21.1k. Sometimes you get out there and you don’t want to run, or don’t think you have the energy or willpower to push hard, but when you’re out there hauling ass for a 2 hour run, you learn to keep going. Even if it’s at a snail’s pace, you’re still out there doing it. 

To be honest, I got scared on days when I knew I had to do a long run. But I’ve also come a long way since last year - when I could barely run 2 miles consecutively. Sometimes it feels good to go faster, but on long runs, you just have to relax and keep it mellow. There’s a different mindset that accompanies each distance, and I’m glad that I ran the half, because I’ve definitely learned a lot. The half was physically tiring, but more than that, it was an exercise for my brain: to keep going even if and when I hit the wall. 

I’m excited about what’s to come. I actually still have runner’s knee and I’m prone to shin splints and tight IT bands, but all that has surprisingly been kept at bay with strength training. This was my longest race to date, but I trained injury-free! It’s definitely set me up to do shorter races more consistently. I probably won’t be inclined to walk at all in a 5, 8, or 10k. So I get to do the whole training process over again, and then haul ass in a shorter race. I’m stoked!

Summer 2014

The past 12 weeks have been the ride of my life. 

Coming back out of the SIlicon Valley bubble, I realize that it really is a bubble, and that even though the kind of thinking, engagement w/ tech, and actual productivity that goes on in there is extremely detached from the rest of the world, I want to stay there. I want to explain what it’s like there, but I haven’t truly worked there enough to describe it accurately. When people ask me what it’s like, I tell them that there’s a wealth of knowledge and resources there, that people are passionate about what they do, and to be a part of it is wonderful. 

I’ve had a few days to reflect on my summer, and I can tell you that I have never learned so much in such a short amount of time. There are so many things I could get in writing, but I’ll focus on the two things that stick out to me most right now: career, and soft skills.

I used to be so unwilling to put myself in any position that forced me to do work I hated, even if it meant a better future. In that regard, I was short-sighted. But talking to more people who have been in the industry for 20+ years, I realize that I don’t want my past naivety to be the reason why I can’t move up in the corporate world. Now I’m paying more attention to figuring out which career paths will get me to the positions I want. And knowing that I no longer limit myself to one type of job… well, it’s fucking great. 

Someone asked me this summer, “Are you willing to put in the effort it takes, to get the results that you want?” And that has stuck with me since - when running, when in class, whenever. 

Here’s a quick summary of the beginning of my internship to give context to this next part. In the first few weeks, I socialized like a madman; I met most of the interns, I had lunch plans with full time staff (most of the people on my teams, and then branching out to folks in marketing) nearly every day. I felt like I was burning out so hard. The thing that drove me to put in that effort was that I didn’t want to know nobody; In a big company, I didn’t want to feel alone. It’s the feeling of walking into the cafeteria full of people, and not being able to recognize any of them that really gets to you. 

When I came back to Toronto, I wanted time to settle in and have time alone. But I have 8 new housemates, and if I wanted this to be a good year, I had to socialize. The thing I realized when I started making that effort was that I can do it way more easily now, even when I’m tired. I can flick the extrovert switch on and off, whereas before, it was an inconsistent skill. On top of that, I find it a lot easier to engage with people and take interest in what they’re passionate about. What they say about the workplace is true - you get all sorts of people. My experience was pretty good all around, but people are still varied, and I learned how to interact with people to gain the most business value - by understanding where they’re coming from. 

I had a fucking fantastic summer. 

fishingboatproceeds.tumblr.com →

fishingboatproceeds:

dailypapertowns:

When will we know who our Margo is going to be?!?!?

Since I’m an executive producer on the Paper Towns movie, I actually have quite a bit more say in casting than I did for The Fault in Our Stars (although I think the TFIOS cast is perfect).

Anyway, that’s why I’m able…

omg

(via fishingboatproceeds)

The Privacy Pack

resetthenet:

The Reset the Net privacy pack will be a selection of software and tips tailored to common computers, phones, and tablets that literally anyone can use.

Our goal is to accommodate literally everyone, and offer bonus tools and instructions for more technical users. Since the tools will be pretty much universal, it should be easy for people to share the privacy packs with friends.

It’ll provide tools and tips for iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, and GNU/Linux, and everything will be free software.

Here’s what we’re offering…

Read More

View high resolution

charmanderhatesshowers:

way to get Kelvin’s vote..

Home

I got back two days ago, but I’ve been busy settling in and going out with family. Today I went for a run, at first thinking I’d just run to De Anza College and back - it’s just 6k/4mi. But I got to De Anza and really wanted to see the pool, so I ventured in. 

Words cannot possibly explain how I felt to walk on that pool deck again. I spent a good 10 years there, nearly 5 days a week, most weeks of the year. I walked alongside the pool, remembering which lanes I’d swam in when I moved up: from green, to white (?), to blue, varsity, and finally to seniors. I remembered the coaches I had. Tori, who had this cool air about her, and always ended each practice with the words, “that is all.” Abi, who at first I wasn’t sure if she was male or female, who pushed each swimmer so hard each practice. Howie, who coached Blue - one of my favorite groups - and honed each swimmer’s best stroke. Ray, who was a pretty bad coach, but a pretty fun guy and made us swim “12 days of Christmas”. And Chris - “lumpy leg Chris” - who was honestly more of a life coach than a regular dude, who recognized each swimmer’s potential and weaknesses no matter how fast or slow they were, who made each swimmer improve so much during the year we had him, and who made me love my sport for that time. 

I loved swimming with the Seniors group. The benches by the pool are still the same, and so are the flags - they’re the same ones from when I started at DACA 15 years ago. I laid my eyes on every single thing on that deck and then climbed onto the blocks. I remembered when I used to work on my dives, and I always went in semi-lopsided until one of my coaches told me to use a grab start instead of the track start. And on a totally irrelevant note, I remember all the time spent before and after practice with the seniors…deck changing, celebrating birthdays, getting a cake in the shape of an apple on my 16th birthday, etc. 

Fond memories galore. 

Then I went out the back to the track, to find that they’d done a major remodel. They had a new rubber track and replaced their bleachers. IT LOOKED SO NICE. 

So yeah, I had a nice walk down memory lane. I’m visiting my old high school tomorrow :)

pewinternet:

The FCC vote expected today could dramatically impact the flow of digital content Americans receive, not to mention the bottom line for many major U.S. technology and content companies.

So, where could the public find news about this issue? In 2014, coverage of net neutrality has been all but absent from network and cable news coverage. It was primarily a Web debate.

Read more

Well, this blows.

(via prweek)

Whelp, it’s 5:30 in the morning and I should be asleep. I just signed my offer for a summer internship and it hasn’t really hit me that 1) I’m going back home, and 2) Things are working out for me. It’s a corporate communications internship at a very decent firm, so I’m doing something right…it’s a job in the right field. Honestly, I had my doubts about whether I’d land something relevant to my studies, but it was something I’d been wishing for. 

Maybe it’ll sink in when I start work, but it’s weird because I’ve always worked in Toronto, where I take the blasted TTC every morning. No matter what, it’d take an hour 15-30 to get to work, and there were days when I had to wake up at the crack of dawn. Death, basically. And now I won’t have to. I won’t even have to pay for food anymore because I’ll live at home. That’s…so weird. It feels like I’m growing up, and that I almost have my foot in the door of the real world and I’m hesitating. 

I know I don’t have a million friends here, but there are a few who are very dear to me. There are people who I am so used to seeing, being able to text, and call. And I am typically not one to worry about that. When I moved to Toronto for university, I left my old life behind without giving it a second thought. But I’ve built stronger relationships in the last few years and I’ve realized that people make a location. I don’t care if I’m in Paris. If I don’t have friends there, I’d rather live in Cupertino. I’ve been waiting for this moment, or rather, the moment when I graduate, for three years now. 

Honestly speaking, I always believed that I would work in Toronto for at least two years upon graduation. I didn’t really think about the possibility of going back home and I have no idea how to wrap my mind around it. So much is thrown in the air. 

Dear friends,

I will be back in tino for the summer! June to Sept 5 give or take a few days. 

Pretty much just slothing around until I leave Toronto. 

Holla if you’ll be in town.

Year-End Update

I wrapped up the end of my junior year last month (I know, so early), and of course, I’ve got a lot of thoughts on it. This year was different than the rest. Instead of taking a full course load, I took 3 classes first semester and worked part time writing white papers (an authoritative report or guide helping readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision) for a digital strategy start-up. I basically had classes once a week, and worked the rest of the time. Pretty boring stuff.

Come second semester, I stopped working, and took up 3 upper level comn courses and a pain-in-the-ass elective. Disregarding the elective, I really just wanted this semester to be purely communications courses, because I won’t have that chance again. I know my major is pretty much useless, because all we learn is theoretical, and there’s always been a vendetta against media conglomerates. I get it, media concentration is terrible, but this doesn’t exactly prepare students for real life, when media corporations are the places they’d likely apply to work. Nonetheless, this stuff is still fascinating to me, and I was really into a poli sci class I had - Culture and Communication. The class was half comn and half poli sci students, and there ended up being only 23 kids. The prof was a really mellow, introverted dude, and the class was late at night, so we had a lot of really calm, but thoughtful discussions. People were really respectful, and it was nice to see arguments made from different backgrounds. I was really impressed with a few of the students who were super well-read in political science literature. Anyways, that was one of the best classes I had. 

Another was Contemporary Communications Issues…not that I went to that many lectures, but when I did, the prof was always really prepared. He was a fantastic speaker and a great person. I guess I can’t explain a lot of the concepts that we studied because there was so much content packed into 13 weeks. But one of the things that really stuck was the idea that relations in production are always hidden. Nobody really tells you where your iPod was made, by who, how much they get paid, and what happens to it upon disposal. Does it get “properly” recycled, or does it rot somewhere? I’m not going to get into it, but it was something that stuck with me because I know that we can’t sustain Earth’s resources for more than another century and I don’t know why this doesn’t matter more to people. I mean, people worry about whether they want kids, but they’re just assuming that everything on Earth’s going to be fine. Well, it might not be, so people will finally have to start tapping their brains and fixing shit. 

Another key issue was the idea of embodiment - in essence, where does the mind end and the body begin? How are they separate entities, and when do they start to blend into each other? These questions are so loaded I can’t begin to explain, but these are issues that we see in everyday life. We judge people based on attractiveness, but physical appearance is so largely based upon mannerisms, which are driven by personality. Someone’s physical appearance affects your perception of their personality, and vice versa. There’s so much blurring of the lines that it’s really hard to just say mind over matter, or personality before looks. The intersections are endless. 

Anyways, I had some fun this semester; I’m glad I got to take classes I was interested in before I have to get back into stupid stuff like financial accounting and finance. Shoot me.