Day in Review: 30 Day Happiness Challenge

April 26, 2015 By Josh Leave a Comment

This is sort of a hybrid post, one in which I discuss a slight change in my posting schedule, the blog contents, and the 30 Day Happiness Challenge. I’m going to change from an every day schedule to an every weekday schedule. I debated it for a while, wondering if changing at this point would […]

Thoughts from Theo: The Benefits of Falling Down

April 23, 2015 By Josh Leave a Comment

Theo falls down often. It used to be because he was learning how to walk, then run, and he wasn’t too sure on his feet. Now it is typically because he is running too fast or he trips on something. Or, he falls on purpose. He’s been doing this more lately, pretending to crash while […]

Trying When You Don’t Have To: The Best Garbage Collector I Know

April 22, 2015 By Josh 1 Comment

White face with clown nose; courtesy of gratisography.com

I don’t actually know him. I didn’t even see him doing what I’m about to discuss (I’m reporting it secondhand), but that’s how great I think it is. Today while playing outside with his Nonna (Melanie’s mom), Theo got to see the garbage truck come down the street and pick up our trash. You wouldn’t think […]

How to Feel Like a Chump When Buying New Glasses

April 21, 2015 By Josh 4 Comments

Woman making glasses with her fingers; courtesy of gratisography

I wish I could buy a pair of eyeglasses without feeling like I’m being swindled. I mean, I don’t think I’m actually getting cheated (feel free to fill me in on how I’m wrong on that one), but it certainly feels like those new frames are actually just wool being pulled over my eyes. Here […]

Patreon and Content Creators: Is Patronage Back?

April 20, 2015 By Josh 2 Comments

Bunny costume with sign asking for money; courtesy of gratisography.com

YouTube is different. Or, the videos on YouTube are different. At least, the videos I watch on YouTube are starting to change. A few weeks ago, I noticed a new addition in several of the YouTube channels I watch. A mention of something called Patreon. What is Patreon? From what I have seen, Patreon is […]

Thoughts from Theo: Was It Today or Last Year?

April 16, 2015 By Josh Leave a Comment

When Theo talks about the past, he refers to it as last year. It can mean yesterday: “I had fun at Target last year.” It can mean last week: “Last year we saw cats at the park.” It can be some undetermined time: “I was a sad baby last year.” He’s really bad with time […]

Week in Review: Future Weeks in Review

April 12, 2015 By Josh Leave a Comment

An old fence. A crossing over point. Courtesy of gratisography.com

There’s an announcement at the end of this post about the week in review and the 5 Karate Moves to Success. You should check it out if you read these. If you don’t, then obviously none of these sentences matter. To you. Here’s how I’ve done this week in achieving success via the Johnny Karate […]

Reflection and Stillness: Finding Space for Your Writing

April 8, 2015 By Josh 4 Comments

Reflection of trees in puddle of water; courtesy of splitshire.com

I learn too much. I listen to too many podcasts and read too many blogs. (I don’t read too many books at the moment.) I know it’s too many because I can recall only a small percentage of what I consume in a given day. This morning I listened to three (short) podcasts while walking […]

Gratitude and Generalization: Thanks for Everything

April 7, 2015 By Josh 6 Comments

One of the most prevalent pieces of writing advice is to be specific. Use detail to create a vivid image in the reader’s mind. Avoid words like “something” or “stuff” (I know, my writing could use some work). Use active verbs and specific nouns instead of adverbs and adjectives. This is all great, but it […]

The World Craves Originality: Copycats and Scams

April 6, 2015 By Josh Leave a Comment

How do you know a scam is good? When it is copied. We recently bought a van in anticipation of the TWINS coming. Often when you make a large purchase, you start to get a great deal more junk mail. Unfortunately, most anyone who can sell or give away your information is happy to do […]