So I was looking for some stuff on Chrome and Chromium and ad-block and Greasemonkey and the usual stuff that’s not actually that important really and came across this entry > http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/30/john-mayer-digital-cleanse/

About

[Ok, I just spent 10 minutes reading a load of rubbish]

A one week digital cleanse with these guidlines >

Guidelines:

*email only from laptop or desktop computers

*cell phones can only be used to make calls, and no text messages or e-mails are allowed – if you receive a text, you must reply in voice over the phone. E-mails must be returned from a laptop or desktop computer.

*no use of Twitter or any other social networking site – this includes reading as well as posting.

*no visiting of any entertainment or gossip sites. (No need to detail which ones – you know what they are.)

I think it’s a little ambiguous about whether news sites or Flickr are acceptable…

In any case I’m going to do it. See what happens, so no texts, or internet for a whole week. Calls and emails only. We’ll see how it goes. It’ll be nice to stop for a bit I think.

There are lots of other things I will be doing instead.

(May still blog… undecided at the moment.)

Once you start procrastinating pleasure, it can become a self-perpetuating process if you fixate on some imagined nirvana. The longer you wait to open that prize bottle of wine, the more special the occasion has to be.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/29/science/29tier.html?_r=1

They reference the bit in Sideways that I’ve always liked too…

I’ve always liked the bit in Sideways 20:14
Where they’re discussing one of his ‘best’ wines in his collection 20:14
and he says that he’s waiting for a special occasion to open it 20:14

and she says to him – the time you open it is the special occasion 20:15

I used to be awful for this, getting better. Slowly…

(Adding seeing things in Manchester that I haven’t yet to my growing list of things i’d like to do in the New Year.)

via

It’s strange being in country where Xmas isn’t such a ‘big deal’. In the last week we saw a bit of tinsel, a few trees (1,2) here and there, some people wrapping in the supermarket but for a large amount of the population here it’s not really an important holiday.

I rather liked it to be honest.

I liked that it was a little more subdued this year, less about the excess and more about spending time around the people that are important. It meant that yesterday just slowly happened, we got up and opened the few presents we had, took time over breakfast and then wandered down to the beach for a swim before a leisurely lunch, a swim in the pool and a nap and then a light dinner. It also meant that it didn’t take the (over)-importance that it normally does. It was just another day and that was just fine.

Also, it’s bloody hot :D

There’s advice everywhere, everyone will give you an opinion if you ask them. There’s too much isn’t there?

18:19:07 Rob G: “the lifehacker paradox” All that useful info and tips and links and software in fact spoiling your life through the sheer quantity of them and time spent reading them…

Anyway, I’m enjoying this time right here as it’s giving me time to assess things, to think things through, to consider things. How they are, how I would like them to be, how I might do that. From the simple little things like taking the time to eat to the bigger things like what I’ll do for work next year. Obviously the prospect sounds scary but you’ve got to start somewhere…

It’s just coincidence that this time falls at the end of one year and the start of another. I’ve never seen the point of that – isn’t tomorrow as good a time to start?

These thoughts are being slowly circulated as I read ‘Enough – Breaking Free From the World of More’ that JH got me for Xmas and which you can read a nice extract here > http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article3171583.ece.

It’s also coincidence that I linked to this http://www.43folders.com/2009/12/14/enough a week ago on the same subject. I mean to write about it at some point when I’ve gotten around to finishing it. There’s a whole lot I like about ‘enoughism’ though, the idea we should ‘savour every bite’. Especially as it ties in with living in the moment.

Anyway, I also wanted to link to this little series http://www.43folders.com/series/wwld-what-would-leslie-do that I rediscovered yesterday. Written post-humously, it’s a little collection of wisdom of someone. Hey more advice! Still, this time it’s small little things that make sense and which, I think, will make things for you and with the people around you a little bit nicer…

I’m cherry-picking the ones I like but there’s more about each on the site.
-When you come across something you know would be perfect for someone else, buy it for them.
-Send Thank You notes.
-A place for everything.
-Make your bed.
-Schedule the simple tasks.
-Enjoy your vices.
-Take a break. Often.

(As a start I have deleted Tweetdeck, removed 40 or so bookmarks and am going to hit the feeds soon…)
(A start to what, I don’t know.)
(It doesn’t matter though does it?)

Splish from Omar on Vimeo.

Total travel time, door to door, approaching 24 hours. Seemed to fly by, the car ride merging into the two buses, into a wait at Heathrow and then onto an 11 hour flight before a final car ride to mum and dad’s.

Felt slightly touch and go when I nearly slipped on the ice at 7am in Manchester with the snow coming down pretty steadily and it looking a bit like everthing was going to grind to a halt. Which it at least waited until today to do (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/dec/22/christmas-travel-eurostar-air-flights-transport), thankfully. Also, when the bus came to a complete stop on the M1 I started to get a bit nervous.

Anyway, here and it’s hot and the house is lovely and it’s amazing to see everyone again

Of note:

1. Mauritian customs are slooooooow.
2. Beer is good
3. Having a pool is just amazing.
4. The nights are hot.
5. Not sleeping for more then a couple of hours over a 48 hour period > sleeping solidly for 12 hours.
6. Lychees are tasty
7. It’s hot hot hot
8. I’m pretty white

Not much work around at the moment and I’m just rubbish at just hanging out on my own – well I’m not, I quite like it. I spent a good amount of time idling over a coffee while I read a book. I just can’t sit still at home. Too many distractions. Anyway, yesterday.

The Song – The XX – Night Time

To eat – Beans on toast with cheese.

To read – The Road by Cormac McCarthy

To watch – Old episodes of Burn Notice

To do – finishing my Xmas shopping up, getting things in order. Also did my second BMF class after 6 days off and it was just amazing (yesterday felt like hard work, just getitng back into it). I love the running bit the best, the short-ish sprints where I can let go and push myself. The sprinting just feels right. I feel like I have to push myself and I just like doing it on the runs! Rest today and back tomorrow. Hanging out with C, K and L and having steak followed by cake and custard was lovely.

The weekend is over and I don’t care.

“Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.” – Plato.

from http://blog.xkcd.com/2009/12/14/books-and-laptops-and-bugs/

Just read something a friend posted and it’s cheered me up no end. Mostly because I can associate with how they’re feeling. Somethings you have to experience to truly appreciate.

That turning the corner feeling, the feeling that things are changing is just amazing.

#goodtimes

So, I forgot the presents I was going down to Worcester to give (apologies Chris and Jenn) and I didn’t get a chance to see everyone I would have liked to (apologies to Rich, Alli and Bex). However I caught up with others, had some nice chats and food, did some more shopping and visited my old school. It was just quite, quite nice.

(Because a bag is like so common, obviously.)

Rice – plenty of it, colourful

Naan – ok, a little plain

Bhaji – not enough onion, bit doughy

Jalfrezi – not hot enough, 3 chillis should be hotter in my opinion

Other dish – no way it was 2 chillis, it was mild.

Was ok, dishes were tasty enough.

5.5/10