John Keyes – Journal
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Five Simple Steps - A Practical Guide to Information Architecture
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EirGrid
The EirGrid ad has been getting plenty of airtime on RTÉ lately. A small seed to sow before the new PSO Levy is introduced?
I remember seeing EirGrid ads before. I wonder were they aired prior to the first electricity levy we had to pay?
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PSO Levy
Why do we have to pay another PSO Levy?
The PSO levy is charged to all electricity customers. It is designed to support the national policy objectives of security of energy supply, the use of indigenous fuels (i.e. peat) and of renewable energy sources in electricity generation. Specifically, the proceeds of the levy are used to recoup the additional costs incurred by ESB and other suppliers in having to source a proportion of their electricity supplies from such generators. [1]
Three things.
Peat is not a renewable resource and we should not be subsidising any use of it as a source of energy.
We have massive offshore gas reserves which we have practically given away to multinationals.
The PSO is just another bad tax.
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8faces
My beautiful limited edition 8faces #1 magazine arrived yesterday morning.
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Shorpy
For any of you who love history, photography or both, you really should treat yourself and check out the Shorpy Historic Photo Archive.
My favourite from the past few days has been “The Tickler: 1909”:
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Spotlight on Failure
I’ve read many pieces about failing early and failing often. It’s okay to fail, if you do it early enough, as this limits the cost of failure. An added benefit of failing is that you learn, and this may reduce the risk next time around.
Google Wave might be closing it’s doors, but it was a stunning demonstration of the power of web applications.
The internet rejoicing in it’s closure is pathetic.That people are rejoicing in it’s closure is pathetic. If people weren’t using it, how was it’s existence affecting them? How is it’s death a source of pleasure?The fail meme has assumed control of too many intellects. Rather than applying thinking to an issue, a more common analysis is a simple “Fail”.
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Lemonade
16 people who worked in advertising were laid-off. How were their lives affected? What choices did they have to make? Are they leading happier lives since the layoff? Lemonade provides the answers to these questions.
It’s not a pink slip. It’s a blank page.
When people lose their jobs, their first concern is predominately about money. Mortgages still need to be paid off, utility bills need to paid, and food needs to bought.
In plenty of cases this is the only concern, as people worry about losing their home, and the prospect of having nothing.
In many more cases though, being laid-off is the catalyst for life changes. A second car, underused gym memberships, holidays, and plenty of other non-essentials can be removed from the accounts. A more frugal life can be lead.
Each person interviewed in Lemonade is happier (or at least perceives themselves to be happier) since being laid-off. We should all know that a job can be a prison for happiness, where monthly payments offset the unhappiness of doing the job, but also tighten the shackles of routine.
The most powerful part of the film for me was when David Cohen described how losing his job was also him losing the last shred of responsibility in his life. He was able to lead his life as a woman and no longer have to fake his masculinity (or hide his femininity).
I got laid off and I changed my gender.
If you are unhappy in your job and you don’t have major financial responsibilities, explore new avenues, try new things, follow your passions. You never know where it might take you, and you never will if you don’t try.
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Is check-in over?
Pat Phelan asked whether check-in is over?
The check-ins which most people are familiar with are associated with hotels and airports.
Applications like Foursquare or Gowalla allow people to check-in anywhere, and share the fact with whoever they want. There is a game aspect also, with points and badges being awarded for checking-in.
One of the most common check-ins I see on Twitter is people checking into their homes, with ultra witty names like Chez Smith, Smith HQ, and Smith Towers.
These hold as much interest to me as conference, supermarket and shopping centre check-ins.
It really is a case of…SQUIRREL.
I’m very much a fence-sitter when it comes to declaring the future of web technologies. I don’t like Facebook, yet millions of people do. A couple of years ago I would have been tempted to say Facebook was over (if forced to make such a declaration). To do so would have proven foolish, but if I had said the same about Bebo would that be the case?
I’ll answer “is check-in over?” when IE6 is over.
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"The saddest part is that the majority of students don’t have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can’t run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be - but only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation."
