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The New York Times online ran an excellent short article on finance last Saturday. In it, Ron Leiber gives five common sense personal finance practices that we should all be doing and expounds upon each, providing links and resources along the way. I found the article compelling because of Leiber’s adaptation of Michael Pollan’s mantra. The author Michael Pollan offered an elegant seven-word mantra in his best-selling book “In Defense of Food” that provides clarity amid the bounty of choices on supermarket shelves: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” ...

Leo Babauta over at Zen Habits continues to inspire with his recent post about getting leaner and fitter. He gives some solid tips on creating and sticking to a healthy routine. Most importantly, Be accountable. My training blog has been a great way for me to stay accountable for my exercise and eating — it’s very motivational. I highly recommend starting such a blog to keep yourself accountable. Online forums, such as the Zen Habits forums, are also good ways to stay accountable, especially if they have daily reporting threads where you can tell people what you ate and what exercise you did every day. Sites such as The Daily Plate, where you log your food and exercise and other people can look at your log and post comments, are also good accountability tools. If you don’t use one of these online tools, at least have a group of friends and family to whom you give updates on your training, in person or through email. ...

If you listen to podcasts, then you should not miss You Look Nice Today. If you don’t listen to podcasts, then this is the time and place to start. The podcast is the creation of Merlin Mann, Scott Simpson, and Adam Lisagor. They describe it as an audio-based Journal of Emotional Hygiene. The show is quite funny and was apparently inspired by some followers of the “three amigos” on Twitter.

Hunter S. Thompson is revered and reviled depending on who you are asking. In either case, he managed to make quite a few valid and memorable points in his writing. Yesterday, I happened upon one of his quotes that I hadn’t read in quite some time. Who is the happier man, he who has braced the storm of life and lived, or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? ...

So the vacation is over, and I have returned home. At least the weather is pleasantly warm and the sun is out. Some updates will be forthcoming after I unpack and get organized. I’ve learned quite a bit from this vacation. Living life to the fullest every day is something that I thought I was doing, but perhaps I can do even more. New places always give new perspective.

“People should put their name on things – it shows your audience that you care about the content and take responsibility for it.” —Edward Tufte This is a great quote and very important. Let’s face it. The habit of anonymity can serve as a safety net, but it can also serve to undermine giving credit where credit is due. Perhaps Internet fame can be similar to real life fame in that someone may end up being known by simply their first name, or Internet handle. Take iJustine, for example. Using your real first name is one step closer to branding yourself and the content you produce. ...

I was tempted to title this birthday entry “One Year Older”, but then I thought that I don’t feel older. I actually feel quite invigorated with life. As my birthday approached, I began to examine the years that have passed and thought long about what is important in life and where life will lead me in the coming years. There’s a long path ahead, I hope. While there are many rewards in life, I distilled several of them from my life thus far. In no particular order, ...

There is no better time to start living than now. Right this moment. Go on. Walk away from the computer, and do something. Lately, life has felt stagnant for me. Reflecting upon those feelings of boredom and stagnation the other day, I realized that the only way to combat them is to act, and that’s just what I did and continue to do. Whenever I begin to feel a lull or a pull of procrastination, I stand up or move from my position and accomplish something. This does not mean that I need to climb a mountain, as W. H. Murray did. It just means I need to start something. The rest will follow. Murray stated it well. ...

I’ve been thinking for most of the day about Valentine’s Day, and the approach that our culture in America takes with regard to it. It seems that through commercialization and marketing, this day has become just another “purchasable holiday”. However, this is not a cynical post. On the contrary, I want to suggest that we make the spirit of Valentine’s Day a template for the rest of the days of the year. I watched Beach Walks with Rox #588 today. Rox talks about the “spirit of aloha” and points out that the word not only means hello and goodbye, but also I love you. She also talks about building harmony with others. If you haven’t watched it yet, take a moment to do so, and then come back. I’ll be here. ...

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, here’s a poem, titled Love, written by Pablo Neruda. Because of you, in gardens of blossoming Flowers I ache from the perfumes of spring. I have forgotten your face, I no longer Remember your hands; how did your lips Feel on mine? Because of you, I love the white statues Drowsing in the parks, the white statues that Have neither voice nor sight. I have forgotten your voice, your happy voice; I have forgotten your eyes. ...