A snapshot I took today:
Blog
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My wish list
Inspired by various gift lists that are showing up in my timeline, I thought I need to write my own wish list.
On my wish list:
New takkies.
I’ve started running again on a regular basis. And I noticed I need to replace my Asics with a fresh pair. Bought my current pair in 2010.“Es gibt kein schlechtes Wetter, nur schlechte Kleidung”
I need to buy some clothes for winter.I’m very happy with my current line-up of gadgets. Favourite gadgets in use in 2013 are a good old 13″ MacBook, an iPad and a Lumix camera.
Android smartphone.
I don’t need a smartphone. But looking at current reviews, I’d probably get a Nexus 4 or an LG G2. I’d like to learn more about Android. My multi-operating system strategy is a good excuse, don’t you think?Apple TV.
I remember a meeting with an online marketer who strongly recommended getting an Apple TV, when it first came out. Maybe he’s right. Or maybe Google Chromecast is a cheaper alternative?But these are all material wishes. Not essential.
Happiness, health, peace, love, joy, wisdom, kindness, goodness, knowledge are worth much more. And much more difficult to gain.
One wish of mine is to improve my writing skills. There is more fun in creating.
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Banana Bread – December 2013 version
Four, very overripe bananas in my kitchen… means it’s time for banana bread.
I found this recipe while searching for the keyphrase “coconut banana bread” and decided to give it a try:
Ingredients
4 bananas, (2 1/2 cups mashed or 575 grams)(they can be yellow bananas)
4 eggs
1/2 cup almond butter (140 grams)(or coconut, sunflower seed, macadamia nut, etc butter)
4 tablespoons grass-fed butter, melted (can substitute coconut oil)
1/2 cup coconut flour (75 grams)(or almond flour, macadamia nut meal, etc)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten free or homemade)
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of sea salt
via Paleo Banana Bread at Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations.
Throw everything together, mix and bake at 180 C.
I used tahina instead of almond butter.
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Looking down
Leaves, leaves, leaves.
Earlier.
Some weeks ago.
Looking up.
Leaves, leaves. leaves.
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http://bit.ly/1iqpeTY How to motivate yourself
This article continues some thoughts discussed in a previous entry:
How To Motivate Yourself Into an Exercise Routine You'll Actually Stick To.I like the idea of thinking in systems.
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Underperforming students at Chanco
This is sad news: http://www.nyasatimes.com/2013/11/29/university-of-malawi-withdraws-116-unperforming-students-at-chanco/
It’s so tough to get to Chanco in the first place and then this. Their relatives will be devastated. I’m sure lots of aunts and uncles paid towards their secondary school and exam fees.I know very few students that make it to uni level in Malawi. Most lack the points required to go on to tertiary education.
If you pass MSCE but don’t have enough points in Maths and English, your only hope is to try again. All career options require a good MSCE in Maths and English. And there are only a limited number of training positions. Competition is high. Most school leavers end up repeating the exam 2 or 3 times.
IMHO, the educational system requires more vocational training options. Like in Germany or Switzerland. Like Tevet but on a larger scale.
But this is not easy to implement. I don’t know enough about the Malawi education system. I’m an outsider. I’m sure Malawi blogger Steve Sharra can provide more insight.
There are few options for middle-of-the-road school leavers with a MSCE pass.
Sidenote:
Reminds me of a quote by John C. Maxwell to treat all your students well. Cos your C-level students will one day return and fund the expansion of your school.Also confirmed by this Business Insider article.
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Rapid fire trading
"rapid-fire trading involves algorithms, or bots, that can make decisions on the order of milliseconds (ms). " http://t.co/P5rGtMQwEI
— âœ___CollectThisTweet (@nchenga) November 30, 2013
"By contrast, it takes a human at least one full second to both recognize and react to potential danger." http://t.co/FQo0DMxNcC
— âœ___CollectThisTweet (@nchenga) November 30, 2013
Wow.
Compare and contrast with Kevin Slavin’s Lift 11 talk.
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WooCommerce and SEO
What are the SEO recommendations for a site using a WooCommerce theme? What are the challenges compared to a normal WordPress site?
I started searching a little bit:
Yoast offers an SEO plugin for 29$
Youtube video: How to make your site SEO friendly
WooCommerce SEO plugin review, is it worth a purchase? (This site uses a nice theme called Highwind)
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A November Snapshot http://flic.kr/p/hNSpaB
I took this snapshot while cycling in Basel.
Temperatures dropped to freezing point and once again it’s time to wear lots of layers, scarves and gloves.
Hard to imagine that once upon a time I didn’t own a winter coat.
I still prefer cycling in the cold. If temperatures drop further as they often do in January or February, 0 degrees will feel like summer. It’s all relative.
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Scott Adams on Goals vs. Systems http://bit.ly/1gfOojJ
Recommended: Scott Adams Blog: Goals vs. Systems
“Before long your body will be trained, like Pavlov’s dogs, to crave the psychological lift you get from being active every day.”
Lots of food for thought in this article.
I particularly like the notes on writing and using blogging as a system to find new opportunities. Also what Scott is talking about here, evolved over several years and took many writing hours. Not some instant magic that some people try to sell us.
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10 Free Hack Guides http://bit.ly/1g7oePO
for future reference:
Link: 10 Free Hack Guides.
I read the first entry on pdfs and immediately thought this is useful.
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Where is Mount Chiperone?
Another Chiperoni reference: This blog is named after the drizzle rain we get in the Shire Highlands.
Where is Mount Chiperone located?
Mount Chiperone in northern Mozambique is a semi-isolated peak situated some 50 km south of the Mount Mulanje massif in southern Malawi. It lies in Milange District of Zambézia Province, 40 km SSW of the District Centre of Milange.
via THE BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION OF MOUNT CHIPERONE, MOZAMBIQUE
See also: Wikipedia
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Google Hummingbird links
The latest addition to the SEO zoo is a hummingbird.
The algorithm change was announced in September 2013 but went live a month earlier.
Searchengineland has some useful background information:
FAQ: All About The New Google “Hummingbird” Algorithm
Hummingbird’s Impact On B2B Sites
Apparently this release will improve Google’s ability to predict a user’s search intent.
Conversational search has been improved.Looks like Google+ might be another factor to add to the 200 items Google looks at? Search Engine Journal says:
Apparently the advice remains the same: develop original, high-quality content.
See Searchengineland’s SEO success factors.
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Affordance – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I read a new, unknown word today: Affordance – See definition on Wikipedia.
A potential action that is made possible by a given object or environment; especially, one that is made easily discoverable.
Hadn’t heard of it before.
This is the context I heard it in:
The term has further evolved for use in the context of human”“computer interaction (HCI) to indicate the easy discoverability of possible actions.
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10 Mac Productivity Tools http://bit.ly/1e08fSv
… that you can’t live without? Let’s leave out the hyperbole. But the links are good.
(I miss old Skitch but i don’t want to use Evernote. My killer app for notes is called Chiperoni… in combination with Twitter and Flickr.)
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Growth Mindset
Growth Mindset via Hiring for an Agile Team: Look for the Growth Mindset.
Interesting use of the term “servant leadership”. I know the term more from its use in Biblical / Christian contexts.
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Freiheit http://flic.kr/p/hBHe9w
Freedom.
Ufulu.
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I had pasta http://flic.kr/p/dmcJQo
on 18th October 2012.
Thank you Photojojo for reminding me.
