“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. ...

Leo Babauta over at Zen Habits wrote a piece yesterday entitled 20 Things I Wish I Had Known When Starting Out in Life. This is a great read and contains such memorable gems as Tequila is seriously evil. I won’t go into details, but it should suffice to say that I had some bad experiences, and I’m not sure I learned very much from them or benefited in any way except to learn that tequila is the drink of the Devil. ...

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. ...

Nothing says loving like a court injunction. File this under “S” for snarky. I was talking to a lawyer friend today, and she informed me that all of the Protection From Abuse (PFA) hearings were scheduled for… Wait for it… Valentine’s Day. That’s right. Apparently, someone from the county thought it would be hilariously ironic to schedule these hearings. Then again, I may be giving too much credit where it isn’t due. It is possible that it was just a coincidence, which would further prove that the universe has a rather wry sense of humor when it comes to humans. That’s what we get for thinking too much. ...

On my morning commute to work, I drove past a church with the following statement on their sign: Aspire to inspire before you expire. Despite the fact that it sounds a bit platitudinous, I thought that it was a rather inspiring statement in and of itself. What prompted me to write about it was the reminder that it gave me of Rox and Shane over at Beach Walks with Rox. I watch every show, and if you haven’t yet, I recommend that you do. They make a great show and have a wonderful outlook on life. ...

Ariel Waldman tweeted this earlier today: My life has entered warp speed, and I’m having trouble keeping up with myself. How very apropos to my life as well for the past couple of months. If I ever catch up, I don’t think I’ll stop; I’ll just try to lap life lest it leaves me lollygagging again.

In this post, I will refer to the 10th item listed on Sagmeister’s 16 Rules to Live By that I previously wrote about. I have decided that this year is the forced year that applies to the 10th rule, which states, Traveling alone is helpful for a new perspective on life. Since I did not decide to be alone, and yet am, I should at least take the opportunity to clear my head and find some new vision. This works well as I have begun my scuba certification classes, so getting the PADI certification will give me yet one more excuse to travel to exotic locations. ...