One-word Inspiration
Think. Dream. Be. Do. Act. Laugh. Create. Rise. Shine. Smile. Ideate. Begin. Energize. Stimulate. Ask. Engage. Appreciate. Compliment. Inspire. Enliven. Read. Write. Listen. Innovate. Rejuvenate. Love. Hug. Focus.
"The Creativ3 Bee" Email Newsletter [ANN]
[EDIT: I just sent out # 1 and it got spammed. Please check your spam emails and mark it as not spam! This is so bad.]
Hey everyone!
I'm starting a fortnightly email newsletter called The Creativ3 Bee. (That was abrupt!)
What I intend is for this to be a community learning, sharing, inspiration and happiness project.
In case you're wondering where in the world this came from:
During the first few days of this idea, I was telling my sister how sometimes inspiration just won't strike (in the context of writing) and that it is not very often that the creativity bee stings. So what I hope is that the ideas I share help us all find the bee-sting. :)
To subscribe, you can hit me back either here or on thecreativ3bee@gmail.com or on twitter.com/thecreativ3bee. Privacy issues and value for your time will be taken care of well. :)
Hope to get a lot of hits! I will get back to you soon with the content details.
The image is courtesy of flickr user aussiegall (who has some of the awesomest pictures ever). It is under a Creative Commons licence, and will be the logo for TCB until I make one myself.
Hey everyone!
I'm starting a fortnightly email newsletter called The Creativ3 Bee. (That was abrupt!)
In case you're wondering where in the world this came from:
During the first few days of this idea, I was telling my sister how sometimes inspiration just won't strike (in the context of writing) and that it is not very often that the creativity bee stings. So what I hope is that the ideas I share help us all find the bee-sting. :)
To subscribe, you can hit me back either here or on thecreativ3bee@gmail.com or on twitter.com/thecreativ3bee. Privacy issues and value for your time will be taken care of well. :)
Hope to get a lot of hits! I will get back to you soon with the content details.
The image is courtesy of flickr user aussiegall (who has some of the awesomest pictures ever). It is under a Creative Commons licence, and will be the logo for TCB until I make one myself.
10 Software Tools Every Computer Deserves
Before I'm off to the list, let me tell you that you don't need any "qualification" to like these softwares. The average computer user might not feel the need for any of these, but I highly recommend each one. I'm not including any security software here, because I expect even the average computer user to feel the need to have them. :P
1. CCleaner
This nifty tool was actually named "Crap Cleaner", and does everything the name promises, and more.
2. Defraggler
Way better than the default Windows defragment tool.
Defragment your hard drive a couple times a year to keep it running fast and well. However, as I recently learnt (Thanks, Karan Kantoor), do not defragment too often, because moving large chunks of data on your drive needs lots of setting and resetting, and is therefore not good for the drive's health.
3. Google Chrome
No matter what browser you primarily use, (I hope you don't say Internet Explorer :P) you should have Google Chrome installed. It's very fast, and comes with a generous set of features despite the minimalist approach, the "Incognito" mode being one of my favourites.
4. Evernote
This powerful note-taking app is a must-have for almost everyone. Sign up for an account, and download the desktop client. There's an online account where all your information gets synced, and there are iPhone and BlackBerry clients too. Write notes, make lists, take screenshots... and I'll tell you more as I discover. MS Office fans might like OneNote for its similar features, but I appreciate Evernote's generous free plan too much to not use it.
5. Recuva
This one can be a true life-saver, especially for fans of the dangerously useful Shift + Delete combination. Pronounced recover, this software does one simple job, and does it well—recover files from your hard drive once you've permanently deleted them but they have not yet been totally effaced.
6. Q10
Here comes my favourite text editor of all time. This is the software I'm using to type right now. There's a plain black background, covering my entire screen, green Matrix-style text on it, and a bar on the bottom that helps me track the time, number of words, pages, etc. There are lots of customizable features, and this tiny software is also portable, so you can even take it on a flash drive anywhere you want to.
7. Caffeine
This microscopically light app is a wonderful way to keep your computer active and awake. All it does is simulate a Shift keypress every 59 seconds, to make sure your computer does not sleep or activate the screensaver if you don't want it to. And for the curious, the Shift key is almost harmless, and indicates to the computer that a user is around.
8. JPEG Lossless Rotator
The name really does say enough. Lossless Rotator has a very simple purpose: it rotates digital pictures in a way that does very little damage to their quality, if at all. It's very user-friendly and integrates directly into the shell, so all you have to do is right-click a picture and select "Lossless Rotate Left/Right".
9. Foxit Reader
This is not really a must-have, because most of us use Adobe Acrobat Reader for pdf files anyway. But in case you're looking at better speed and features, Foxit is a quick answer. For a quicker one, check out Sumatra PDF, a light, portable and ultra-fast pdf reader.
Edit: Nitro PDF Reader. Period.
10. Universal Viewer
If there could be a Swiss Army knife equivalent of softwares, Universal Viewer would be a contender, if not the winner. Under one common roof, you can open tons of file formats that cover pictures, audio, video, and lots more.
Most of these come with decent alternatives, also free. These are just my favourites, and they do their job handsomely. Some of these are Windows-only, so feel free to recommend cross-platform/Mac/Linux alternatives, and also share your own favourite tools in the comments.
1. CCleaner
This nifty tool was actually named "Crap Cleaner", and does everything the name promises, and more.
2. Defraggler
Way better than the default Windows defragment tool.
Defragment your hard drive a couple times a year to keep it running fast and well. However, as I recently learnt (Thanks, Karan Kantoor), do not defragment too often, because moving large chunks of data on your drive needs lots of setting and resetting, and is therefore not good for the drive's health.
3. Google Chrome
No matter what browser you primarily use, (I hope you don't say Internet Explorer :P) you should have Google Chrome installed. It's very fast, and comes with a generous set of features despite the minimalist approach, the "Incognito" mode being one of my favourites.
4. Evernote
This powerful note-taking app is a must-have for almost everyone. Sign up for an account, and download the desktop client. There's an online account where all your information gets synced, and there are iPhone and BlackBerry clients too. Write notes, make lists, take screenshots... and I'll tell you more as I discover. MS Office fans might like OneNote for its similar features, but I appreciate Evernote's generous free plan too much to not use it.
5. Recuva
This one can be a true life-saver, especially for fans of the dangerously useful Shift + Delete combination. Pronounced recover, this software does one simple job, and does it well—recover files from your hard drive once you've permanently deleted them but they have not yet been totally effaced.
6. Q10
Here comes my favourite text editor of all time. This is the software I'm using to type right now. There's a plain black background, covering my entire screen, green Matrix-style text on it, and a bar on the bottom that helps me track the time, number of words, pages, etc. There are lots of customizable features, and this tiny software is also portable, so you can even take it on a flash drive anywhere you want to.
7. Caffeine
This microscopically light app is a wonderful way to keep your computer active and awake. All it does is simulate a Shift keypress every 59 seconds, to make sure your computer does not sleep or activate the screensaver if you don't want it to. And for the curious, the Shift key is almost harmless, and indicates to the computer that a user is around.
8. JPEG Lossless Rotator
The name really does say enough. Lossless Rotator has a very simple purpose: it rotates digital pictures in a way that does very little damage to their quality, if at all. It's very user-friendly and integrates directly into the shell, so all you have to do is right-click a picture and select "Lossless Rotate Left/Right".
9. Foxit Reader
This is not really a must-have, because most of us use Adobe Acrobat Reader for pdf files anyway. But in case you're looking at better speed and features, Foxit is a quick answer. For a quicker one, check out Sumatra PDF, a light, portable and ultra-fast pdf reader.
Edit: Nitro PDF Reader. Period.
10. Universal Viewer
If there could be a Swiss Army knife equivalent of softwares, Universal Viewer would be a contender, if not the winner. Under one common roof, you can open tons of file formats that cover pictures, audio, video, and lots more.
Most of these come with decent alternatives, also free. These are just my favourites, and they do their job handsomely. Some of these are Windows-only, so feel free to recommend cross-platform/Mac/Linux alternatives, and also share your own favourite tools in the comments.
Run to Simplicity
There was the Notepad Age, there was the WordPad Age, the MS Word Age, and then, somewhere down the line, a crossroads appeared—on the one side, MS Word and other word processors were increasing and improving their features, and on another, the simplicity bandwagon was accelerating and preparing to overtake the heavy feature-laden softwares.
(Writeroom, Q10, JDarkRoom, Writer, DarkCopy)
And today, the scene is that there are known hacks in the computer-geek circles to achieve Writeroom-like simplicity--black screen, green text, and no other features--in the more ubiquitous Word/Google Docs interfaces. Wow.
This makes me think of simplicity in a wider perspective. Leo Babatua talks highly of simplicity as a way of life, and to me the extent of simplicity in his life is alarming. I personally do not have a fixed opinion on this. I've made a comfortable place for myself on the fence, and keep jumping to either side every so often.
What do you think about reverting to the simple in various aspects of life? Do share your thoughts.
(Writeroom, Q10, JDarkRoom, Writer, DarkCopy)
And today, the scene is that there are known hacks in the computer-geek circles to achieve Writeroom-like simplicity--black screen, green text, and no other features--in the more ubiquitous Word/Google Docs interfaces. Wow.
This makes me think of simplicity in a wider perspective. Leo Babatua talks highly of simplicity as a way of life, and to me the extent of simplicity in his life is alarming. I personally do not have a fixed opinion on this. I've made a comfortable place for myself on the fence, and keep jumping to either side every so often.
What do you think about reverting to the simple in various aspects of life? Do share your thoughts.
The Hidden Dream [CrWr]
The leaves made soft, rustling sounds. The wind blew softly on her face and played with her blonde hair. As her golden locks flew about her face she realized this was what she had been waiting for, all twenty eight years of her life—to enjoy herself and just watch, as time sails past her. If only this could be real.
"Cut! We have to do this again. Coffee break for now."
The director's interruption brought her back to reality. Her harsh reality—she wasn't the simple girl she got be for several hours these days, being laid-back was no longer part of her busy life, and worse, the wind came from seven large fans around her, the soft hair was fake and the yellow leaves were barely anything apart from died dry paper.
Roll back into time to ten years back, and you could meet the happy Melanie. Youthful, beautiful, enthusiastic, brave, wild, intelligent, and ready to take over the world. She had just graduated from high school, and in the week that followed, finished working on a TV commercial for Walmart. She had an unmistakable talent for acting. It took her less than two years to move on from heading the school drama club to being a known face all-over after appearing on national television. And in another three months the movie industry had taken her away. Forever. Every few months the Orangeway neighborhood buzzed with excitement as their little big star got ready to make another appearance on one of the screens at Studio 16.
It was almost like a fairy tale. Melanie's life had been perfectly smooth and in some ways too good to be true. And it was. It didn't take her too long to realize that she was trapped in the quicksand of the glitzy world. Try to escape, and only be dragged further into it. She knew her only option was to not resist and let things just happen.
Today she had come a long sad way from being excited to being unsatisfied at what life had to offer. She no longer had the time to enjoy the little joys of life that brightened her up when she was younger. It felt more like a previous life than just her past—so beautiful, too distant. If she ever got the time to stop by and admire the beauty of a snowy mountain, a young flower bud, or puppies playing in the dirt, a beep on her cell or her manager's "Much as I hate to interrupt you at this moment, Mr./Ms. ____ is waiting to..." would be sure to interrupt. With every passing day, she felt the strings of time pull her further away from her real self—the free bird.
Everything she had considered 'sins' was part of her life today—monotony, a perpetual irritation, and most of all lack of the freedom that was so dear to her. Shimmering dresses, sparkling diamonds, and the most impressive beaus had started to depress, rather than impress her. She longed for a day when she didn't have to smile at pretentious women and appear to be awfully concerned about their latest adventures or the latest piece of **** they had gotten into; when she didn't have to look her best for every trashy party that maniacs threw; when she didn't have to get up early every morning and be driven to a studio where the crew would pile her up with pounds of makeup, jewelry and instructions.
At times she got so caught up in the rut that she forgot all about what she really wanted from life. It was on one such morning that, unknown to her, her life-altering opportunity came to her. A debutant director wanted to cast her as a preschool teacher who loses her memory in an accident, and the erstwhile 'devilish' kids help her emotionally survive the incident. The story was touching, and she didn't even feel the need to read the entire script or negotiate the money to sign the contract. Within a month, work began and she started visiting preschool teachers and three year olds to discover more about their lives. For the first time in years she could feel her past self coming back to her, beckoning to her! She didn't have the time to acknowledge the feeling, but she felt happier than she ever had. Without wondering why, she continued to work on the movie with all her soul and gave one of her best performances.
On April 29, the day after the movie released, Page Six had all about the first look of Angels In Disguise, with interviews, audience's views and critics' reviews. And there, on the bottom was the news that skeptics still doubt today, months after it was published:
"Melanie decides to quit acting
Takes up job as preschool teacher at Orangeway Preschool, LA"
(29 December 2008)
"Cut! We have to do this again. Coffee break for now."
The director's interruption brought her back to reality. Her harsh reality—she wasn't the simple girl she got be for several hours these days, being laid-back was no longer part of her busy life, and worse, the wind came from seven large fans around her, the soft hair was fake and the yellow leaves were barely anything apart from died dry paper.
Roll back into time to ten years back, and you could meet the happy Melanie. Youthful, beautiful, enthusiastic, brave, wild, intelligent, and ready to take over the world. She had just graduated from high school, and in the week that followed, finished working on a TV commercial for Walmart. She had an unmistakable talent for acting. It took her less than two years to move on from heading the school drama club to being a known face all-over after appearing on national television. And in another three months the movie industry had taken her away. Forever. Every few months the Orangeway neighborhood buzzed with excitement as their little big star got ready to make another appearance on one of the screens at Studio 16.
It was almost like a fairy tale. Melanie's life had been perfectly smooth and in some ways too good to be true. And it was. It didn't take her too long to realize that she was trapped in the quicksand of the glitzy world. Try to escape, and only be dragged further into it. She knew her only option was to not resist and let things just happen.
Today she had come a long sad way from being excited to being unsatisfied at what life had to offer. She no longer had the time to enjoy the little joys of life that brightened her up when she was younger. It felt more like a previous life than just her past—so beautiful, too distant. If she ever got the time to stop by and admire the beauty of a snowy mountain, a young flower bud, or puppies playing in the dirt, a beep on her cell or her manager's "Much as I hate to interrupt you at this moment, Mr./Ms. ____ is waiting to..." would be sure to interrupt. With every passing day, she felt the strings of time pull her further away from her real self—the free bird.
Everything she had considered 'sins' was part of her life today—monotony, a perpetual irritation, and most of all lack of the freedom that was so dear to her. Shimmering dresses, sparkling diamonds, and the most impressive beaus had started to depress, rather than impress her. She longed for a day when she didn't have to smile at pretentious women and appear to be awfully concerned about their latest adventures or the latest piece of **** they had gotten into; when she didn't have to look her best for every trashy party that maniacs threw; when she didn't have to get up early every morning and be driven to a studio where the crew would pile her up with pounds of makeup, jewelry and instructions.
At times she got so caught up in the rut that she forgot all about what she really wanted from life. It was on one such morning that, unknown to her, her life-altering opportunity came to her. A debutant director wanted to cast her as a preschool teacher who loses her memory in an accident, and the erstwhile 'devilish' kids help her emotionally survive the incident. The story was touching, and she didn't even feel the need to read the entire script or negotiate the money to sign the contract. Within a month, work began and she started visiting preschool teachers and three year olds to discover more about their lives. For the first time in years she could feel her past self coming back to her, beckoning to her! She didn't have the time to acknowledge the feeling, but she felt happier than she ever had. Without wondering why, she continued to work on the movie with all her soul and gave one of her best performances.
On April 29, the day after the movie released, Page Six had all about the first look of Angels In Disguise, with interviews, audience's views and critics' reviews. And there, on the bottom was the news that skeptics still doubt today, months after it was published:
"Melanie decides to quit acting
Takes up job as preschool teacher at Orangeway Preschool, LA"
(29 December 2008)
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