December 22, 2008
During NaBloPoMo, I wrote about an inner struggle I was having about smoking, and today another struggle is on my mind: controlling my spending.
I did not use to struggle with buying things; I’d just put whatever it was I wanted on credit cards and think nothing of it. This strategy work for about two years, and then I found myself chin-deep in debt.
It was depressing.
December 16, 2008
With eight more days until Christmas, I know there are many people who are still struggling to buy a few final gifts, so I figured I’d write a post to help. I don’t usually write much in these posts, but I’d like to share a few of my own brief ideas for last-minute gifts.
December 7, 2008
Today is Nikolaus, or St. Nicholas Day. Last night, children all over Germany polished their boots and left them outside for St. Nikolaus to inspect. Here’s a bilingual poem about St. Nicholas Day for your reading pleasure.
Ihr Kinder, stellt die Schuh’ hinaus, / Children, put your shoes outside
denn heute kommt der Nikolaus; / because Saint Nikolaus is coming today;
und wart ihr immer gut und brav, / and if you were always good and well-behaved,
December 2, 2008
I just pledged to turn these into themed links, and I have to admit, I was a little stressed about picking a theme for this week, but as I was processing my feeds, it became pretty obvious which links I would be sharing today. Well, that and the stress (read: stack of papers to be graded) I’ve been feeling. This week, we’re going to look at some great productivity and Getting Things Done links. I’ve got some productivity tools, some sad news, and the first–and free–issue of the first Productivity! magazine.
I seem to go through periods of productivity and periods of the opposite, whatever that is called. Eventually I’ll get there, I guess; reading all these articles helps. I’m reading and collecting ideas and tools, trying them out, adapting them, and just basically trying to change my habits. That seems to be all that you need to do to really be productive, lose weight, start running, et cetera, et cetera. If only changing our habits were as easy as flipping a switch.
November 29, 2008
I have no idea what to write about. I spent about 25 minutes brainstorming and came up with several great post ideas (5 Phrases You Must Know If You’re Visiting Germany, 5+ German Dishes You Must Try If You’re Visiting Germany, 5 German “False Friends”), all Germany-related, which Google Analytics tells me that my readers like. But none of them were truly inspired. I might save them for another day, but honestly I don’t think any of these topics are very original, so I might not. Let me know in the comments what you think and want to read here on Linden’s Pensieve.
This is NaBloPoMo. I can’t just not write a post today. Since I spent so much time brainstorming, I figure I’ll let you in on a few of my ideas. Some of these will never see the light of day, but maybe if you express interest, I’ll write it. Let me know in the comments.
November 28, 2008
I could not live without Gmail*, and I shared a few reasons yesterday that show how email makes living far away from friends and family easier, but it makes work life easier as well. Even though Gmail and Google have become a dynasty which scares some people away, their innovative, cutting-edge products have proven that they deserve the cult-like following they have amassed. Google is rarely, if ever, content with just putting another widget out onto the market. They rethink–and in many cases, completely redesign– the current widgets, creating a new generation of widgets which surpasses in quality those currently available.
November 27, 2008
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. President Abraham Lincoln on October 6, 1863 This year has been the most different year my life has ever had. I never ever would have imagined that I would, by the end of my 26th [...]
November 26, 2008
Graffiti is huge over here! And it looks much different than most of the graffiti I remember seeing in America. Instead of unreadable scribbles*, most of it is art. In fact, every time that we go to Berlin, I expect to find another interesting piece, like this one that we found one day when we walked party of the marathon course a couple months before the race. It’s on a bridge at about kilometer 3.
November 25, 2008
That’s right. I got “pulled over,” if you can call it that. I was on my way home on my bike, when a policman, Herr Kolb, called me over to him, just past the railroad tracks on Schiffenberger Weg. They had a stake-out on that corner, a much-used route from the center of town to my campus. It was dark, and they were trying to catch people whose bikes weren’t properly dressed up. My problem? My lights weren’t working.
