Monday31: Genetics, Habits and Time

Today brought some interesting articles, ones that were more thought provoking than normal.

I watched two videos that were a collaboration of the YouTube channels ASAP science and V Sauce 3. Both videos discussed the possibilities and current science of genetic manipulation. VSacue's video focused on if it is possible to genetically modify our current bodies to become stronger, smarter, faster, etc. The short answer is no. Genes, and the traits they determine are very complex and engineering them is very difficult. However, I believe that we may see a day when genetic manipulation becomes real and regular.

The other video focused on engineering genes in our children, choosing specific traits and qualities to breed a more intelligent human. Again, interesting thoughts that sound like science fiction. But if history has taught us anything (and continues to teach us) it's that science fiction often become science reality.

Another brief article I saw that had some interesting charts and graphics to go along with it was about the daily habits of highly creative people of the last several centuries. There were very well-designed graphs of Mozart's daily patterns, including baths, walks, composing and a lot of breaks for food. It also had other famous writers and composers.

I think our fascination with history's powerful figures is very interesting. I think there may be some benefit from studying their habits but at the same time, from what I saw, there was no pattern to their days across the board. One of the famous writers (I can't remember his name) spent only 2 hours a day actually writing while another spent over 11! Instead of focusing on what others have done to achieve greatness maybe we should look inside and around ourselves to discover what it is that will make us individually great.

The last thing I will bring up came from a website that I discovered today (via an article) called Clearer Thinking. This website has some interesting tools and training on how to improve many aspects of your life. The article I read featured a tool that they have created that lets you calculate how much your time is really worth to you. It asks questions about how much you make, if you would change jobs, how long you'd be willing to wait in line for a gift card and so on. It's quite interesting and while it's certainly not completely accurate (time and money are very subjective matters in my subjective opinion) it is rather insightful. It also gives several recommendations on how you can use your time or change your habits. It turns out, an hour of my free time is worth about $14.83. I'm not sure how I feel about that but at least I make more than minimum wage in my own mind's time.

TGIF: Virtual Reality, Typography and Reviews

Look a picture! I'll try add an something unique to each day.

Friday has arrived, finally. I'll try my best not to make excuses for not remembering things because it's now officially the weekend, but still, it is the weekend.

An article that caught my attention today about a clever discovery made by a middle school boy. Apparently he was looking for ways to save his school money (presumably for an assignment) and discovered that by changing the typeface, or font the school used in it's printed materials it could save 20%. He figured the same idea could be applied to the government. It turns out that the government uses Times New Roman font for it's THOUSANDS of publications that get printed EVERY DAY. By switching to a simpler font with thinner lines (the name of the font he suggest escapes me... maybe Garamount or something?) the government (including states) could save 400 million dollars! And that's just on the ink! You might need less paper as well. Why hasn't anyone thought of this before? Why are we changing this immediately? The world may never know, but at least we hope it can act on it.

I read a couple of reviews for the new movie "Noah" coming out this weekend (I think). I am very interested in seeing this movie and the critics seem to be confirming my interest. From the two articles I've read I've gathered that the movie is very liberal in applying the biblical tale of Noah. Yes, there's an ark, a family, lots of animals and a flood but much of the filler is very different, and apparently very unique. It was said that the effects combined with the filming style, story and unique approach to the characters makes the movie much deeper than anticipated. I won't go into much more detail. Even though this blog is intended to catalog my daily internet musings I may have to find time to add a few more comments on the movie once I see it.

I watched a Verge video on virtually reality. In case you hadn't heard, Facebook bought Oculus Rift, one of the most talked about and promising prospects for real virtual reality. The video seemed to be less enthusiastic about the experience of virtual reality - specifically from Rift. This is different from many articles I have read that have praised and adored everything about Oculus. Either way, the future will certainly hold some interesting surprises for virtually reality, and most of them won't be for gaming.

I also wanted to briefly mention some posts both today and tomorrow that going on at Gizmodo talking about the Singularity. Specifically the organization called Singularity University who's mission is to be at the forefront of new technology and development and prepare humanity for what's ahead. It's all very interesting stuff. I won't explain the Singularity because i technically didn't read an article about it today and for now, that's the rules I'm setting. Please look it up and tell me what you think.

A lesson I've always known all along but I'm rediscovering even as I write only the second post is that articles and posts from places like BuzzFeed, ViralNova, UpWorthy and even Business Insider are essentially, worthless. Surprise! But I also must admit they are often entertaining and the humor frequently rings true. They are still, nonetheless, of no real value to the intellect.

Thursday; A rainy day and other things

One of the first things that comes to mind today were the reports of President Barak Obama meeting with the Catholic Pope. I overheard on the radio that such encounters are usually politically motivated, which is interesting. Shouldn't the most powerful man of the free world want to meet with one of the most charitable, influential and examplared spiritual leaders for reasons other than politics? How about some spiritual guidance? Even just shooting the breeze with the Pope sounds like an awesome opportunity.

Big news in the tech world as Microsoft's newest CEO [insert his somewhat hard to remember name here] announces some changes and developments for the company. The big announcement was that office products (Word, Excel and Powerpoint) are now available as apps for the iPad. Hurrah! I don't own an iPad so it doesn't directly effect me but from the screenshots I've seen all the apps look and function wonderfully. This also signifies a different direction for Microsoft by focusing on providing software products regardless of whether you use a Microsoft platform or piece of hardware.

An interesting article from Business Insider discussed why consumers aren't ready for wearable tech. Without going into too much detail it essentially boils down to a few points. Too expensive, not trendy/fashionable, socially odd, and wearing something on your body is much more "intimate" and committed than carrying a phone on your pocket. It's going to take some getting used to.

That's it for today, I tried wracking my brain for more but alas, the internet robs my memory of the precious moments I shared with it today. Until tomorrow evening.

Introducing: A Daily Summation

Hello there, my name is Gary Arnold. I am a social media manager, and business development strategist for a security alarm company. Have I bored you with that title? No? Well, let's move on. I'm starting this blog for several reasons, one of them is you.

One, for my job I write blog posts and brochure copy, but I'm not a copywriter. The last English class I took was five years ago - also, I hated English classes in High School.
I've found myself enjoying more and more the writing process. It's kind of exciting to see your words get printed in a brochure or get shared across the web. So in an effort to practice and hone my writing skills, I will write more.

Two, I am highly interested in new technology and business ideas. That being said I am happy to at any moment ditch all electronic devices and go on a week long camping trip if it's offered. I don't consider myself attached to my tech (I don't even have much to begin with), I don't much care for celebrity gossip (at all), and I'm sick and tired of Facebook. But, I still love to read dozens of articles a day, keeping up on trends and ideas that interest me and I want to share what I find and continually learn. Which leads me to my third point.

I read roughly 30-60 articles a day. Really that's an arbitrary estimate but still, a lot. But I find myself at the end of the day not remembering hardly anything of what I've read. Now, to the internet's credit, most of what I ready and/or watch probably isn't worth remembering. But some of it really is. There are some incredible, inspiring and beautiful things to be seen, heard and read on the internet - and I want to remember and apply more of it. So, in an effort to better remember what I read and see while hopefully becoming more insightful and creative, I will blog about my daily internet wanderings.

My goal with this new blog is to "summize" at the end of each work day, everything that I can remember from what I've read during the day. My memory certainly isn't perfect, nor is my grammar, spelling, or really anything else about me. But in an effort to improve memory and really "get more" out of the world wide web, I will be blogging (hopefully every evening) some of the highlights of what I remember reading and discovering throughout the day and probably adding some commentary as well.

I hope that you will benefit from my summations. That, maybe you'll find me funny, or smart, or helpful, or insightful. Whatever it is I hope that you can gain a little from a summized day from your friend Gary.

Disclaimer: For now, I don't plan on adding links to what I say. My goal is to not ever look back and search for the articles I've read in an attempt to remember it. It's all from pure memory. If you want to read more about what I mentioned, google it. If I don't remember a key part of an article that I'm summizing then I will try my best to substitute it. For the most part I read articles based around business, tech and tech companies, sci-fi, fantasy, marketing, social media, random fun, worthless buzzfeed, and other random social articles I come across. I will post a list of the YouTube channels I subscribe to and a list of my website "rounds" - the sites I visit several times a day, in a later post.

That's it. I'd love to hear what you think and I'm very open to suggestion on where to search, read and discover new and interesting things on the internet.