Saturday, July 9, 2011
Last Week in CoMo!
Coming up on my last week living in Columbia, and I have no idea where the time has gone. It seems like I've been so busy this summer, constantly packing and moving things around. I have most of the furniture out of my apartment, but I have a few pieces to move over to Allison's new place before I head out. I gave my bed to one of Allison's roommates, who was in need of a place to sleep. So I have been sleeping on the floor where my bed used to be. I placed a pillow-top and memory foam pad down and have been sleeping like a baby. Maybe there's something to this sleeping on the floor thing that I read about on Everyday Minimalist....
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
You're getting paid for what?!
So tomorrow I go in to the psych department at Mizzou for a study on the effects of caffeine and alcohol... feels like I'm back in school already! Apparently I will be given a drink containing alcohol, caffeine, both or neither and they are going to hook me up to a computer and study my brainwaves as I perform tasks on a computer. I can only hope they serve me some fresh brewed Flat Branch Brown Ale or Moose Drool, but I'd say those chances are slim. Twelve bucks an hour for drinking a bit doesn't sound too shabby to me, I'll update tomorrow on how it goes. Cheers.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy Independence Day!
For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail?
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Saturday, July 2, 2011
My Minimal Desktop
Going along with my developing minimalist lifestyle, I've recently reorganized my desktop on my MacBook Pro. I was inspired by the Minimalist Mac Setup on mnmlist.com
To begin, I first had to go about reducing clutter on my desktop, I deleted all icons that I did not use - old folders, school papers etc. that were haphazardly saved on the desktop. Having many icons on your desktop can severely increase computer start-up time, especially on windows machines ( from my own previous experiences).
I then chose a simple blue wallpaper that was visually pleasing, which for some reason seems to make the screen actually look larger. I chose one with a phrase on it that I am always trying to be mindful of:
With no icons on my desktop for quick access, and very few active icons on my dock I decided to download Quicksilver - a launching program that allows you to open programs, documents, files...pretty much anything - without the use of a mouse -. You simply assign quicksilver a two-keystroke code that opens the program and then begin typing what you're looking for. My keystroke code is (space)+(up arrow), so if I want to open Opera, my web browser, I simply hit (space)+(up arrow) and begin typing. By the time I've entered the letters O and P the opera logo pops up and I hit return (enter key) to open it.
I have to say that it takes a little getting used to, but I've come to love it already. It works in a similar fashion to Spotlight (Mac OSX) if you're familiar with that. There are other various launcher programs on the net, this just happens to be the one I'm using, a simple google search will turn up several.
Opening Opera with Quicksilver:
I also chose to hide or simplify most of the program icons on the menu bar (upper right), which can usually be done in the individual programs' preferences menus. As well as auto-hiding the dock.
I have found that this simplification of my desktop has not only helped speed up my computer, but helped me effectively become more efficient at finding and utilizing the programs that I need.
To begin, I first had to go about reducing clutter on my desktop, I deleted all icons that I did not use - old folders, school papers etc. that were haphazardly saved on the desktop. Having many icons on your desktop can severely increase computer start-up time, especially on windows machines ( from my own previous experiences).
I then chose a simple blue wallpaper that was visually pleasing, which for some reason seems to make the screen actually look larger. I chose one with a phrase on it that I am always trying to be mindful of:
With no icons on my desktop for quick access, and very few active icons on my dock I decided to download Quicksilver - a launching program that allows you to open programs, documents, files...pretty much anything - without the use of a mouse -. You simply assign quicksilver a two-keystroke code that opens the program and then begin typing what you're looking for. My keystroke code is (space)+(up arrow), so if I want to open Opera, my web browser, I simply hit (space)+(up arrow) and begin typing. By the time I've entered the letters O and P the opera logo pops up and I hit return (enter key) to open it.
I have to say that it takes a little getting used to, but I've come to love it already. It works in a similar fashion to Spotlight (Mac OSX) if you're familiar with that. There are other various launcher programs on the net, this just happens to be the one I'm using, a simple google search will turn up several.
Opening Opera with Quicksilver:
I also chose to hide or simplify most of the program icons on the menu bar (upper right), which can usually be done in the individual programs' preferences menus. As well as auto-hiding the dock.
I have found that this simplification of my desktop has not only helped speed up my computer, but helped me effectively become more efficient at finding and utilizing the programs that I need.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Picture of the Month
Highline Trail - Glacier National Park, MT
Picture taken on a Canon Powershot - July 2010
The beginnings of summer
June has come and nearly gone seemingly in the blink of an eye. I celebrated my 21st birthday on the fifth, which was a trip to say the least. I spent a week and a half on the beach near Gulf Shores, Alabama with loved ones. Relaxing, meditating and simply enjoying the essence of coastal life. Over the past few years I've noticed that when I get to Alabama (specifically Southern Comfort - the name my mother gave to our beach home) - things simply slow down. I stop worrying so much about things, I go shirtless, I sit on the porch for hours on end, I take long walks with no particular place to go. It is this sort of relaxed mindset that I try (without avail) to bring home with me. I think being away from your physical belongings often has a relaxant effect, you have fewer objects to interact with, and so your mind is at ease. Since I am in the process of packing to move I thought this would be the best time to downsize my personal belongings, and have been doing so for the past couple of months. I get an extremely freeing feeling as I look around my apartment with less clutter, less furniture and more space day after day. Slowly ridding myself of attachment. June has come and is nearly gone, just as "things" are leaving my life every day.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
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