Information on why we have daylight savings

Notes:

• Daylight savings was invented as a fuel saving measure by the Germans in World War 1.

• Similar energy savings are no longer derived from daylight savings.

• Studies show that rates of car accidents and work related injuries tend to increase in the week following the time change.

 

Recommended Reading 

Everybody Lies (Book by Seth Stevens Davidowitz) 

Notes:

• While I hesitate to recommend a book I haven’t finished, this one is so good that I didn’t want to wait. It provides in depth descriptions and analyses of internet search trends. These trends reveal some fascinating, and often shocking truths about humanity. Rarely have I read a book stacked with as many insights per page. If you’d like to watch a short talk by author on some of its central topics, click here. 

Excerpts:

• “The everyday act of typing a word or phrase into a compact, rectangular white box leaves a small trace of truth that, when multiplied by millions, eventually reveals profound realities.”

• “Economists and other social scientists are always hunting for new sources of data, so let me be blunt: I am now convinced that Google searches are the most important dataset ever collected on the human psyche.”

 

The Day You Became a Better Writer (Blog post by Scott Adams)

Excerpts:

• “Simple writing is persuasive. A good argument in five sentences will sway more people than a brilliant argument in a hundred sentences.”

• “Write short sentences. Avoid putting multiple thoughts in one sentence. Readers aren’t as smart as you’d think.”

Notes:

• The author of this piece is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting thinkers out there. He is rarely afraid to challenge conventional thought.

• I don’t always follow his advice, and disagree with him on many points. That said, I still think he is well worth listening to.

 

11 Proven Health Benefits of Quinoa 

Excerpts:

• “…high in fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and various beneficial antioxidants.”

• “The United Nations (UN) declared 2013 “The International Year of Quinoa,” due to its high nutrient value and potential to contribute to food security worldwide.”

• “…it contains sufficient amounts of all the essential amino acids.. For this reason, it’s an excellent source of protein. It has both more and better protein than most grains.”

 

Documentary Recommendation: Minimalism

 

Quote of the Week

“The things you own end up owning you.”

– Chuck Palahniuk

 

Excerpts From My Journal 

We are all programmers. Speaking and writing are ways of programming humans. It’s just that human behavior is less tightly coupled to our languages than computer behavior is to languages like java, python, and C++. 

 

How likely is it that the way I’m spending my time right now will benefit me at some point in the future? In other words, what is the probable ROI on this way of spending my time? 

 

All we can say is that when a certain part of the brain is damaged, some aspect of the body or personality or mind changes in some way. This does not mean that the brain is the sole mediator of the aforementioned aspects of one’s being. It simply means that the brain is involved with them to some degree. The brain is no doubt important, but it might not be all that you are.

 

So often, the best choice is to subtract. To cut away. Instead of asking what else you need in your life, ask yourself what is in your life now that you no longer need.

 

As far as I can tell

The doldrums are inevitable

But after a while

The wind always returns.

 

Photos of the Week