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Your Guesses On My Origin Story

May 19, 2013 in Personal / Relationships by Ezra S F | No comments

I have written before on this blog on people trying to figure out my skin color or my accent. These are details which make very little sense. My skin is not dark enough to be black and not pale enough to be white. The weird ways I pronounce words provides few clues to where I was raised.

So I am re-reading The Great Gatsby. One of the things that entertained me were the various scenes of people trying to figure Gatsby’s origin story through gossip and inference. This makes me curious. I know people similarly talk about me because they eventually ask. So review details you know about me that make little sense. What are your inferences? I’ll let you know yes or no. Plus I’ll fill in the gaps.

Alienating Friends Through Correcting Misinformation

May 8, 2013 in Social by Ezra S F | 3 comments

Snopes is your friend. Even if you cannot remember the site, searching for a sentence of a text probably will pull up a hoax clarification site.

Facebook is the new chainletter forwarding medium. The share button allows people to very easily and simply pass along anything. Often this is before they do anything to verify the information. Before anyone I know who reads this comments, I have been guilty of it too. I like to think it rarely happens.

Almost as long as I have been online, I have fought back against this kind of misinformation. When I see factual claims, I try and verify them. My GoogleFu is strong because of researching things I read or hear to confirm, deny, or better understand. If claims were false, then I left a comment. Initially I wrote in my own words detailed explanations on why something was in error. Then as I got lazier, I quoted places like Snopes who probably wrote better explanations anyway and linked back to the source.

These days at my laziest, I just post a link to the source.

Usually, I received a comment back in thanks. Sometimes it hurt feelings for me to have sent these comments. People have even stopped talking to me over getting a comment. The interesting ones involve me being called a liar or mean. So I pull back for a while and try not to hurt feelings. Eventually, I will resume responding.

Something I really should remember is people love their biases and these shares are part of solidifying them. I probably ignore the things with which I agree. By trying to correct them, I am fighting against cognitive dissonance and am not going to win.

 

TED Talk: Risking Redefinition

April 30, 2013 in Social by Ezra S F | No comments

This is the first TED Talk I get to post because I know the speaker rather than just know of them. Rebeka was originally a new employee in training who really did not need it. Over the past few years we’ve followed each other through social media, so I was aware of the elements of this story. So I am glad she got the opportunity to put it all together through a venue like TEDx.

I look forward to seeing what she does in the future.

If the video below does not work, then try this link Risking Redefinition : Rebeka Geer at TEDxUGA.

Resolution Progress 2013: First Quarter

April 1, 2013 in Goal Progress by Ezra S F | No comments

  1. Read 52 books. Today, at 1/4 through the year, I should be at 13 books read. I am at 18.
  2. Post 180 blog entries. Today at 1/4 through the year, I should be at 45 blog posts published. I am at 24.
  3. A dSLR photograph a week. Made it all the way to week three.

Resolutions 2013

January 1, 2013 in Goal Progress by Ezra S F | 1 comment

Quantifiable:

    1. Read 52 books. In 2012, I read 55. In 2011, I read 56. Both were over 21,000 pages. (Reference) Unlike prior years, I do not think I am going to state specific kinds of books to read or come up with a list beforehand. Though, I have started a list for 2013.
    2. Post 180 blog entries. Yes, this is smaller number than last year’s goal. However, I only managed 143, so maybe this is a more realistic goal.
    3. A dSLR photograph a week. My new point-n-click is better than my dSLR except for the glass. I should take more photos.

Normal resolutions like lose weight, eat healthier, etc. are not for me. The reality is the last place I ever want to be is in a gym. Walking short distances is okay at times, but even when it can keep me from excruciating pain, I am too lazy to consistently do it. I tend to eat okay as it is and better takes away the things I enjoy.

Resolution Progress 2012: End

December 31, 2012 in Books / Novels / Writing, Goal Progress by Ezra S F | No comments

Today is the last day of the year, so where am I with those 2012 goals?

  1. Reading goals should be at 100%:
    1. Complete unfinished novel series. 23.1 of 28 done or 82.5%. So I missed.
    2. American History and Decision Making. 10 of 10 done or 100%. So done.
    3. Science. 13 of 13 done or 100%. So done.
    4. Read 50 books. I have read 54 of 50 or 108%. So done.
  2. Publish an average of four blog posts a week. This post makes 143 of 208. That is 69%. So I missed by a long shot.

I guess three of four on the reading goals is not bad. The Book of the Malazan series page-wise is about a long as Harry Potter twice over and only counts as 9 books. Over the year I only got through five of them. The Wicked series was so terrible, I just could not bring myself to finish.

Back in the first quarter on blogging, I was a bit ahead. Then life happened. A death in family was the first interruption. Then my brain became overwhelmed with work. Organizing my thoughts enough to blog became difficult.

Looking at the blog’s stats, I was getting way more traffic in the beginning of the year with three 600+ pageview pages in January. Here in December, none peaked over 150 pageviews. Maybe if I post more and comment more on others, then I can boost traffic?

TED Talk: The currency of the new economy is trust

October 2, 2012 in Social by Ezra S F | No comments

How would you describe my reputation in three words? My judgment, knowledge, and behaviors in various situations?

Back in the 1990s, the beauty of the Internet was we could disappear and be whomever we wanted. Wherever we went, almost no one knew who we were. Then web sites started providing accounts to sites and tracking who we were. Then web sites started sharing who we were. Now our reputation is going to follow us around on the Internet?

I guess it already does. I got my current job by doing something similar to the StackOverflow example used in the video. Helping others solve problems with the product developed into people trusting me. Measuring trust though. No existing rating system really works as well as I think it should.

I really dislike the ratings on most web sites because I do not really trust them. Authors don pseudonyms. Publishers make fake accounts. So I prefer something like Goodreads where people I actually know are the raters and whether or not to trust the rater is an easier task. Books that changed other people’s life? Meh. Restaurant I love? Other people find meh.

Guess I should go figure out how to trust the raters so eventually people can trust me trusting them.

If the video below does not work, then try The currency of the new economy is trust.

Resolution Progress 2012: Third Quarter

October 1, 2012 in Books / Novels / Writing, Goal Progress by Ezra S F | No comments

Today is the 274th day or third-quarter of the year, so where am I with those goals?

  1. Reading goals should be at 75%:
    1. Complete unfinished novel series. 21.6 of 28 done or 77%. So slightly ahead.
    2. American History and Decision Making. 7.5 of 10 done or 75%. Should be 7.5.
    3. Science. 10 of 13 done or 76%. So slightly ahead.
    4. Read 50 books. I have read 40 of 50 or 80%. So slightly ahead.
  2. Publish an average of four blog posts a week. This post makes 120 of 208. That is 57%. It should be 156. So way behind.

Gracie Died

May 31, 2012 in Pets by Ezra S F | No comments

William With the Petrified Furball 2006

William With the Petrified Furball 2006

It has not been a very good six weeks for my mother. Her mother and one of her three cats died during this period.

Way back in 1995, I had just moved from Mom’s house to Dad’s. Mom decided to get another cat. I guess Winnie needed company or something like that? William was still living with Mom, so they found Misty and brought her home.

Gracie was a stray Dad found in the street not long after. He brought her home. But she eventually ended up at Mom’s for William. That brought Mom’s cat count to three. She eventually ended up with a fourth who hung around the house and was sometimes inside.

Winnie passed in 2006 at 17 years old. (A week after a took her chair from Mom’s house.) Gracie just passed at about 17 years old. That leaves Mom with two: Tom and Misty.

Gracie as Kitten 1995

Gracie as Kitten 1995

Resolution Progress 2012: First Quarter

March 31, 2012 in Books / Novels / Writing, Goal Progress by Ezra S F | No comments

Today is the end of the third month, so where am I with those goals?

  1. Reading goals:
    1. Complete unfinished novel series. 7 of 24 done. That is 29%. I should be at 25%. So I am a little ahead.
    2. American History and Decision Making. 2 of 9 done. That is 22%. So a behind 25%. (A quarter of a book would put me back on target.)
    3. Science. 2 of 8 done. That is 25%. So I am right on track.
    4. Read 50 books. I have read 13 of 50. That is 26%. So I am a little ahead.
  2. Publish an average of four blog posts a week. This post makes 57 of 208. That is 28%. So I am a little ahead.

Both 1b books and one of the 1c books were read in the past couple weeks so I could not appear too behind.

I was asked about a month ago how I am able to spend so much time reading. Well, it helps to be single, have no children, and hold one job.

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