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Hard drives form the basis of our computing. The use of computers comes down to manipulating data, and the hard drive is, of course, where we store all our data; family albums, music, work documents, email, the list goes on.
Most of the components in your computer are electronic devices. They don’t fail with time like a mechanical device such as a car. But your hard drive is one of the few mechanical devices used in modern computing, and as such, it’s destined to die eventually.
It’s important to learn to recognize the warning signs of an imminent hard drive failure, since you might not have the budget for an extensive back-up system, so you can rescue all that data before it’s lost—sometimes forever, not retrievable at any cost.
Why do hard drives fail?
Logical Failures
Logical failures occur when the electronics of the hard drive failure or the software (firmware) has a problem. This kind of failure is usually the cheapest and easiest to have fixed. Unfortunately, it’s also an uncommon failure.
Media Failures
If the hard drive has been handled roughly, or the magnetic platters are scratched, have read/write errors or low-level formatting problems, this is a media failure. These are also relatively uncommon. Once the platters are scratched, the data should be considered scrapped.
Head Failures
A head failure occurs when the read/write head crashes into the platters (the head crash), has an “improper flying height” or the wiring between the logic board and the head is faulty—among other failures related to malfunction of the read/write head. This is a common failure. The head crash is particularly nasty.
Mechanical Failures
Mechanical failures probably make up the bulk of hard drive failures. The motor burns out, the drive overheats, bearings get stuck—the kind of thing you’d expect to find when a car fails. These can be nasty but if the failure didn’t affect the platters, you might have a chance of recovery, but at a cost.
How do I find out when it’s going to fail before it fails?
That’s not always possible, and sometimes a hard drive will just die—but it’s still important to keep an eye on the symptoms of an imminent hard drive so you have the chance to back-up your data and get professional help.
Hard drives are incredibly sensitive bits of hardware, so don’t try to crack it open and have a look inside unless you know what you’re doing. And most definitely ensure that if you do crack it open, the platters don’t get exposed to the open air—hard drives can only be opened in Class 100 clean rooms or they’re pretty much instantly destroyed by dust.
It’s a lot easier to back-up than to get your data recovered. Once you detect any of the signs of failure you need to ensure that you have a back-up and if not, make one. Then when the drive dies, you can claim your warranty if you still have it, or buy a new drive, and be on your way.
Recovery can cost thousands and thousands of dollars; it sure is a ridiculous amount to pay, but there’s not much you can do but shop around and find the best price. The cost of transferring a back-up onto a brand new drive is much cheaper than having a recovery specialist do the same for you.
Strange Noises
Sometimes hearing strange grinding and thrashing noises means your drive is beyond repair—for instance, if you’ve had a head crash, it very often is. Or it could just be that the motor has failed or your hard drive is grinding away because of noisy bearings. If you’re hearing strange noises then act very, very quickly—you probably don’t have much time.
Disappearing Data and Disk Errors
computer won’t let you save a document? Or you’re sure that you had a file on your desktop yesterday that’s nowhere to be seen today? Programs that always worked suddenly stop working, asking where a file it depends on is stored?
These are all potential signs that your hard drive is on its way out. Of course, it could be that your kids moved your files for fun or a virus is eating through them, but disappearing data is never a good sign for your drive if you can rule out those alternative causes.
Your computer stops recognizing your drive
This may seem obvious, but if your computer no longer recognizes your drive chances are there’s a problem with it, not the computer. Test it in a friend’s computer and see if your hard drive is recognized by it.
Often, this will be a logical failure—unless you can hear strange noises that indicate a severe mechanical or head problem.
2008年8月7日星期四
How to Read E-Books
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Nobody has figured out a way to read that adequately replaces the way we read traditional paper books, but that isn’t always important — and some solutions come pretty close! There are a number of ways to read e-books:
* On your computer screen: This is probably the least preferred way to read e-books. But it’s fine for short pieces — you read on the Internet at your computer, right? It’s also fine for quickly looking at reference material like an encyclopedia or computer manual. * PDA/smartphone/iPhone: I’ve read dozens of books on my old Palm IIIe, when I lived in New York and took the subway a lot. iPhones are supposed to be particularly nice to read on. Most PDAs and smartphones come with some kind of pre-installed e-book reader, or you can easily download Mobipocket, Microsoft Reader, or a range of other programs depending on your device’s operating system. * Dedicated devices: New devices with “electronic ink” technology come very close to reproducing the appearance of printed text on paper pages (although the background is closer to “pulp fiction gray” than “first edition white”). There are several devices on the market, but the leaders are: * The Kindle: With built-in wireless Internet to download books on the fly and the support of Amazon’s extensive inventory of e-books, the Kindle was a surprise hit — especially considering how ugly it is! * The Sony eReader: Better looking than the Kindle, but lacking the wireless Internet. Both devices use basically the same screen and cost about the same. Because the e-ink technology used in the screen only uses electricity to change the screen (e.g. to turn pages), battery life on both devices is quite high — unless you use the built-in mp3 player or the Kindle’s wireless Internet services. * Paper: I often print out longer works that I don’t want to read on a screen, especially if it’s likely I’ll be holding onto and re-reading it. Save paper by using your printer’s “multiple pages per sheet” function and printing on both sides; I also keep a ream of paper with pre-drilled holes handy so I can stick printed out books straight into a binder. E-books can be quite practical — there’s a universe of great literature, history, science, how-to, and reference material available at a moment’s notice, often for free. What could be wrong with that?
If you know of other sites where good e-books can be found, if you have a favorite way to read e-books that I haven’t listed here, or if there’s a program you especially like, let us know in the comments!
Nobody has figured out a way to read that adequately replaces the way we read traditional paper books, but that isn’t always important — and some solutions come pretty close! There are a number of ways to read e-books:
* On your computer screen: This is probably the least preferred way to read e-books. But it’s fine for short pieces — you read on the Internet at your computer, right? It’s also fine for quickly looking at reference material like an encyclopedia or computer manual. * PDA/smartphone/iPhone: I’ve read dozens of books on my old Palm IIIe, when I lived in New York and took the subway a lot. iPhones are supposed to be particularly nice to read on. Most PDAs and smartphones come with some kind of pre-installed e-book reader, or you can easily download Mobipocket, Microsoft Reader, or a range of other programs depending on your device’s operating system. * Dedicated devices: New devices with “electronic ink” technology come very close to reproducing the appearance of printed text on paper pages (although the background is closer to “pulp fiction gray” than “first edition white”). There are several devices on the market, but the leaders are: * The Kindle: With built-in wireless Internet to download books on the fly and the support of Amazon’s extensive inventory of e-books, the Kindle was a surprise hit — especially considering how ugly it is! * The Sony eReader: Better looking than the Kindle, but lacking the wireless Internet. Both devices use basically the same screen and cost about the same. Because the e-ink technology used in the screen only uses electricity to change the screen (e.g. to turn pages), battery life on both devices is quite high — unless you use the built-in mp3 player or the Kindle’s wireless Internet services. * Paper: I often print out longer works that I don’t want to read on a screen, especially if it’s likely I’ll be holding onto and re-reading it. Save paper by using your printer’s “multiple pages per sheet” function and printing on both sides; I also keep a ream of paper with pre-drilled holes handy so I can stick printed out books straight into a binder. E-books can be quite practical — there’s a universe of great literature, history, science, how-to, and reference material available at a moment’s notice, often for free. What could be wrong with that?
If you know of other sites where good e-books can be found, if you have a favorite way to read e-books that I haven’t listed here, or if there’s a program you especially like, let us know in the comments!
A Beginner’s Guide to E-Books
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In the last year, e-books have started taking off in a big way. E-books have been around for a long time, of course, but a few events in the last year suggest that they’re really starting to get traction as a viable alternative to paper-based reading. One is the success of e-books like Leo Babauta’s Zen to Done (read my review). Another is the emergence of e-book-only publishing concerns and widespread self-publishing made possible by the availability of cheap tools and widespread Internet access. The third is the release of viable e-book readers, especially the Kindle.
Another sign of the success of e-books, though, is not such a happy one: the huge glut of poorly written, scammy, second- and third-rate e-books that has suddenly started flooding the market. As with music and video, the Internet has made publishing and distributing books easy and next to free, and it can be hard to find anything worth reading.
Still, there’s some gems out there if you know where to look. For those of you who are just discovering e-books, or are ready to take another look, I offer this basic guide to finding and reading e-books, with a few tips and tricks thrown in.
E-Book FormatsThere are dozens of different formats out there, all intended for different devices and platforms. Here’s a quick overview of the most popular ones:
* PDF: Adobe’s Portable Document Format is the leading format for e-books, since it can perfectly simulate the appearance of the printed page. * LIT: Microsoft’s LIT format is used by Microsoft Reader, available for Windows-based PCs and mobile devices. LIT files look nice, but are often copy-protected and have limited functionality. * MOBI: A portable document format created by Mobipocket (which runs on Windows PCs and just about every kind of smartphone or PDA), MOBI picked up steam recently when it was adopted, albeit in a slightly modified form, by the Kindle. * Plain Text (txt) and HTML: Standard file types that can be used by just about every device known. TXT files lack any formatting. How to Find E-BooksThere are thousands, maybe millions, of sites offering e-books on the Internet, but here are a few good ones:
* Amazon: Of course Amazon has e-books, with just about any recent mainstream book for sale. Your favorite online retailer probably carries e-books, too. * Project Gutenberg: Millions of free, public domain books, generally available in text and HTML formats. Includes just about any classic book you can think of from before 1923, and a few more recent books. Wowio: Beautifully formatted books, including some fairly recent mainstream books, all free. * The Internet Archive: The Internet Archive is scanning books in libraries around the world and making them available for free in a range of formats, including searchable PDFs of the original page images. They have about half-a-million texts so far, and counting. * Baen Free Library: A pioneer in the e-book field, Baen makes selected titles from it’s line of science fiction and fantasy books available for free download. Lots of good stuff for SF fans! * Free-ebooks.net: A huge directory of free e-books, most of which are self-published. You’ll have to do some digging to find quality stuff here, but there are plenty of good books to be found with some patience. * Web Warrior Tools: Founded by two of the stars of the personal productivity blogosphere, Leo Babauta of Zen Habits and Glen Stansberry of LifeDev, Web Warrior Tools offers a collection of books devoted to topics like better email, podcasting, and other lifehack-y subjects. * Memoware: Memoware includes tens of thousands of public domain books, formatted for a wide range of portable devices. They also have a premium bookstore where more current, mainstream books can be bought. * Fictionwise: A huge e-book bookstore, specializing in SF, with titles formatted for a range of devices. Check out their always-changing selection of free e-books drawn from their collection.
In the last year, e-books have started taking off in a big way. E-books have been around for a long time, of course, but a few events in the last year suggest that they’re really starting to get traction as a viable alternative to paper-based reading. One is the success of e-books like Leo Babauta’s Zen to Done (read my review). Another is the emergence of e-book-only publishing concerns and widespread self-publishing made possible by the availability of cheap tools and widespread Internet access. The third is the release of viable e-book readers, especially the Kindle.
Another sign of the success of e-books, though, is not such a happy one: the huge glut of poorly written, scammy, second- and third-rate e-books that has suddenly started flooding the market. As with music and video, the Internet has made publishing and distributing books easy and next to free, and it can be hard to find anything worth reading.
Still, there’s some gems out there if you know where to look. For those of you who are just discovering e-books, or are ready to take another look, I offer this basic guide to finding and reading e-books, with a few tips and tricks thrown in.
E-Book FormatsThere are dozens of different formats out there, all intended for different devices and platforms. Here’s a quick overview of the most popular ones:
* PDF: Adobe’s Portable Document Format is the leading format for e-books, since it can perfectly simulate the appearance of the printed page. * LIT: Microsoft’s LIT format is used by Microsoft Reader, available for Windows-based PCs and mobile devices. LIT files look nice, but are often copy-protected and have limited functionality. * MOBI: A portable document format created by Mobipocket (which runs on Windows PCs and just about every kind of smartphone or PDA), MOBI picked up steam recently when it was adopted, albeit in a slightly modified form, by the Kindle. * Plain Text (txt) and HTML: Standard file types that can be used by just about every device known. TXT files lack any formatting. How to Find E-BooksThere are thousands, maybe millions, of sites offering e-books on the Internet, but here are a few good ones:
* Amazon: Of course Amazon has e-books, with just about any recent mainstream book for sale. Your favorite online retailer probably carries e-books, too. * Project Gutenberg: Millions of free, public domain books, generally available in text and HTML formats. Includes just about any classic book you can think of from before 1923, and a few more recent books. Wowio: Beautifully formatted books, including some fairly recent mainstream books, all free. * The Internet Archive: The Internet Archive is scanning books in libraries around the world and making them available for free in a range of formats, including searchable PDFs of the original page images. They have about half-a-million texts so far, and counting. * Baen Free Library: A pioneer in the e-book field, Baen makes selected titles from it’s line of science fiction and fantasy books available for free download. Lots of good stuff for SF fans! * Free-ebooks.net: A huge directory of free e-books, most of which are self-published. You’ll have to do some digging to find quality stuff here, but there are plenty of good books to be found with some patience. * Web Warrior Tools: Founded by two of the stars of the personal productivity blogosphere, Leo Babauta of Zen Habits and Glen Stansberry of LifeDev, Web Warrior Tools offers a collection of books devoted to topics like better email, podcasting, and other lifehack-y subjects. * Memoware: Memoware includes tens of thousands of public domain books, formatted for a wide range of portable devices. They also have a premium bookstore where more current, mainstream books can be bought. * Fictionwise: A huge e-book bookstore, specializing in SF, with titles formatted for a range of devices. Check out their always-changing selection of free e-books drawn from their collection.
How Do I Make My Computer Faster Than Normal?
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This is a common question among PC users. Most computer users will encounter systems that are slow and unresponsive at some point of their computer using lives. If you think that owning a recently purchased computer exempts you from this problem, you are sadly mistaken. Even the latest computers will slow down eventually if preventive measures aren't taken. Let's examine several simple steps we can take to speed up our computer.
#1 Registry cleaner
Every computer has a registry. Information stored in registries can never be deleted nor removed. Instead, this information gets overwritten multiple times. As such, this increases the chances of corrupted and redundant files. Having too much irrelevant information stored in the registry can cause the computers slow down. This is because the computer now has to wade through a junkyard full of digital waste before reaching to the information it wants. To ensure that your registry stays junk-free, simply use a registry cleaner to clear out all redundant files. A registry cleaner will help you to sieve out corrupted files and ensure that only the right set of information is being stored in the registry. RegCure and Reg Mechanic two of the most popular registry cleaners that you can find off the shelves in any computer shop. But if you think that you are not ready to part with your money, then try using the all-free CCleaner. It works just as well as other paid registry cleaners too.
This is a common question among PC users. Most computer users will encounter systems that are slow and unresponsive at some point of their computer using lives. If you think that owning a recently purchased computer exempts you from this problem, you are sadly mistaken. Even the latest computers will slow down eventually if preventive measures aren't taken. Let's examine several simple steps we can take to speed up our computer.
#1 Registry cleaner
Every computer has a registry. Information stored in registries can never be deleted nor removed. Instead, this information gets overwritten multiple times. As such, this increases the chances of corrupted and redundant files. Having too much irrelevant information stored in the registry can cause the computers slow down. This is because the computer now has to wade through a junkyard full of digital waste before reaching to the information it wants. To ensure that your registry stays junk-free, simply use a registry cleaner to clear out all redundant files. A registry cleaner will help you to sieve out corrupted files and ensure that only the right set of information is being stored in the registry. RegCure and Reg Mechanic two of the most popular registry cleaners that you can find off the shelves in any computer shop. But if you think that you are not ready to part with your money, then try using the all-free CCleaner. It works just as well as other paid registry cleaners too.
Selling Your Business Online
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Of course you can sell your product on the internet. But you can sell your Business there, too. Many business owners looking to sell their business don't realize they can use the internet to make the selling process go more smoothly. Online business-for-sale marketplaces allow sellers to reach a large number of potential buyers and provide resources for owners considering putting their Business up for sale.
Mike Handelsman, general manager of San Francisco-based BizBuySell, the internet's largest business-for-sale marketplace, answers sellers' questions about listing a Business for sale online.
Q:What should a seller do to prepare for listing a Business for sale online?
A: Allowing yourself enough time is key. Too often, people try to rush their business to market and run into complications during the selling process as a result. Allow several months between making the decision to sell and making the Business available online. During this time, figure out your company's financial situation so that you can present this information to prospective buyers.
Once you put the business up for sale, have all of the information relating to potential growth and revenue, past performance and Business costs on hand. Putting the time and effort into preparing these figures in advance will tell potential buyers that you know what you're doing and give them more confidence in you.
Q:How can sellers determine a fair asking price for a particular Business when using an online marketplace?
A: Online marketplaces often provide tools for determining a fair, standard selling price based on comparable Businesses, geographic area, gross income and cash flow.
For example, if you're listing a restaurant, you could access a report that breaks down pricing information for that specific type of Business and its location. A full-service restaurant might be priced at 33 percent of annual sales, as opposed to 40 to 50 percent for a fast food restaurant. More specifically, a fast food restaurant specializing in hamburgers might sell for 35 percent of annual sales, while a pizza restaurant would generally sell for around 30 percent.
Also, our data indicate that restaurants typically sell for an average of 85 percent of sellers' original asking prices. So if you're a restaurant owner wanting to sell your Business for $200,000, you may want to ask for $235,000.
Q:Are certain types of Businesses easier to sell online than others?
A: Our data from 2006 show that the largest category--nearly 15 percent--of Business listings were restaurants, so those are the type most frequently purchased. Another popular category is service establishments, including auto repair shops and dry cleaners.
However, people have listed and sold a variety of Businesses, from web design firms to furniture manufacturers.
Q:Are Business in certain geographic areas bought and sold online more frequently?
A: Yes, last year Florida had the most Business listings on our site, at nearly 15 percent, followed by California, New York, Texas, New Jersey and Arizona.
Q:What tips do you have for creating a Business-for-sale listing?
A: Providing the right information is imperative. There's a fine line between providing so few details that prospects don't take notice and providing so many that your Business' confidentiality is compromised.
The key is providing the most information possible without giving away the identity of the business. It's important to give viewers an idea of the general location of the Business, but don't post the street address, phone number or address in the listing. Instead, create a separate e-mail address and phone number for inquiries from potential buyers. If you have to provide further detail, make the recipient sign a nondisclosure agreement.
It sometimes helps to tell potential buyers why you're selling the Business. If you're honest, people tend to be less skeptical.
Once you list your Business, you might find that certain questions come up repeatedly in inquiries. This can serve as a guide for what you should add to your listing if ongoing editing is possible.
Q:How can a seller tell a serious buyer from one who isn't likely to follow through?
A: The best way to pick out serious prospects from the rest is to ask potential buyers questions about how long they have planned on buying, how they plan on financing the Business and how much money they have for a down payment. This kind of informal interview will allow you to determine whether the prospect is worth pursuing.
On the other hand, sellers also should be sure to follow through. We hear from many buyers who say they're interested in a specific Business listed, but can't get the seller to communicate.
Using an online Business-for-sale marketplace is a two-way street. Successful transactions require open communication and attention to detail from both buyers and sellers.
Of course you can sell your product on the internet. But you can sell your Business there, too. Many business owners looking to sell their business don't realize they can use the internet to make the selling process go more smoothly. Online business-for-sale marketplaces allow sellers to reach a large number of potential buyers and provide resources for owners considering putting their Business up for sale.
Mike Handelsman, general manager of San Francisco-based BizBuySell, the internet's largest business-for-sale marketplace, answers sellers' questions about listing a Business for sale online.
Q:What should a seller do to prepare for listing a Business for sale online?
A: Allowing yourself enough time is key. Too often, people try to rush their business to market and run into complications during the selling process as a result. Allow several months between making the decision to sell and making the Business available online. During this time, figure out your company's financial situation so that you can present this information to prospective buyers.
Once you put the business up for sale, have all of the information relating to potential growth and revenue, past performance and Business costs on hand. Putting the time and effort into preparing these figures in advance will tell potential buyers that you know what you're doing and give them more confidence in you.
Q:How can sellers determine a fair asking price for a particular Business when using an online marketplace?
A: Online marketplaces often provide tools for determining a fair, standard selling price based on comparable Businesses, geographic area, gross income and cash flow.
For example, if you're listing a restaurant, you could access a report that breaks down pricing information for that specific type of Business and its location. A full-service restaurant might be priced at 33 percent of annual sales, as opposed to 40 to 50 percent for a fast food restaurant. More specifically, a fast food restaurant specializing in hamburgers might sell for 35 percent of annual sales, while a pizza restaurant would generally sell for around 30 percent.
Also, our data indicate that restaurants typically sell for an average of 85 percent of sellers' original asking prices. So if you're a restaurant owner wanting to sell your Business for $200,000, you may want to ask for $235,000.
Q:Are certain types of Businesses easier to sell online than others?
A: Our data from 2006 show that the largest category--nearly 15 percent--of Business listings were restaurants, so those are the type most frequently purchased. Another popular category is service establishments, including auto repair shops and dry cleaners.
However, people have listed and sold a variety of Businesses, from web design firms to furniture manufacturers.
Q:Are Business in certain geographic areas bought and sold online more frequently?
A: Yes, last year Florida had the most Business listings on our site, at nearly 15 percent, followed by California, New York, Texas, New Jersey and Arizona.
Q:What tips do you have for creating a Business-for-sale listing?
A: Providing the right information is imperative. There's a fine line between providing so few details that prospects don't take notice and providing so many that your Business' confidentiality is compromised.
The key is providing the most information possible without giving away the identity of the business. It's important to give viewers an idea of the general location of the Business, but don't post the street address, phone number or address in the listing. Instead, create a separate e-mail address and phone number for inquiries from potential buyers. If you have to provide further detail, make the recipient sign a nondisclosure agreement.
It sometimes helps to tell potential buyers why you're selling the Business. If you're honest, people tend to be less skeptical.
Once you list your Business, you might find that certain questions come up repeatedly in inquiries. This can serve as a guide for what you should add to your listing if ongoing editing is possible.
Q:How can a seller tell a serious buyer from one who isn't likely to follow through?
A: The best way to pick out serious prospects from the rest is to ask potential buyers questions about how long they have planned on buying, how they plan on financing the Business and how much money they have for a down payment. This kind of informal interview will allow you to determine whether the prospect is worth pursuing.
On the other hand, sellers also should be sure to follow through. We hear from many buyers who say they're interested in a specific Business listed, but can't get the seller to communicate.
Using an online Business-for-sale marketplace is a two-way street. Successful transactions require open communication and attention to detail from both buyers and sellers.
10 Life Lessons From Your Fruit Bowl
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On 11 December 2007 author Terry Pratchett announced online and with glorious good humour that he’d been diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer’s disease.The news still shocks me, partly because it’s the first time I’ve heard the phrase “eat the arse out of a dead mole” in a press release, but mainly because it’s always a crying shame when terrible things happen to brilliant people.I wanted to help. In an interview with The Times two days later, Pratchett cheerfully told me that I simply wasn’t qualified: “I know it’s a very human thing to say, “Is there anything I can do?” but in this case I would only entertain offers from very high-end experts in brain chemistry.”
I flunked chemistry and biology with crying colours, so I turned to a more traditional way of exploring the problem; I picked up a good book. The hardback I chose was “Going Postal” by the great man himself. On page 17 Pratchett gives a wonderful life lesson that I’d like to share with you today.
Getting past the pineappleGoing Postal tells the story of a skilled con artist forced to turn his life around to change the world for the better. In the opening scene, our troubled trickster ponders the meaning of life while seconds away from death at the gallows:
“What you had to do in this life was get past the pineapple, Moist told himself. It was big and sharp and knobbly, but there might be peaches underneath.”
What a wonderful little nugget of philosophy—a lesson in living from a fruit bowl! Only Pratchett could take a pineapple, add the word “knobbly”, and create a neatly-formed metaphor for overcoming hardship. Here’s what it teaches us:
10 lessons in life from your fruit bowl1. The juicy fruit is often underneathThere will be times when life gets sharp and knobbly. Your challenge is to keep on smiling and look for the tasty treats underneath. It’s a question of balance: without hardship, the good times wouldn’t exist. Never give up—getting past the pineapple is what it’s all about.
2. Wear lightweight armourEver bitten into a whole pineapple? Didn’t think so. They’re tough old beasts at the worst of times, and so should you be. You want a solid outer shell to repel anyone trying to attack you, but you don’t need to harden up as far as the pineapple and dissuade people from talking to you altogether. Those in a full suit of wet copper armour don’t tend to be very approachable. (As Pratchett jokes—especially not in a thunder storm.)
3. Be patientThe moment a pineapple is picked, the fruit stops ripening. It’s a simple idea and a powerful one. Many people seem in a rush to ‘become’ something. Whether it’s a famous musician, a great designer or a problogger, don’t hurry to ripen. Your heroes became famous through hard work and good fortune and you’ll have to do the same. There’s no magic ticket — just take your time and enjoy the ride. Fame should be an added bonus; never a goal.
4. Aim for the sunFew fruits grow in heavy shade. Fewer still revel in the darkness. This creates a lovely two-step metaphor for living: first, you have to leave the darkness of anonymity and actually put yourself out there, both online and off. Second, you have to do something unique if you want to really be noticed — the tallest fruit trees rarely grow in the shade of others.
5. Respect your parentsMost fruit ripens to the point where it’s mature — then it drops and is no longer dependent on the tree. If you’re a parent, you’ll be laughing heartily at this metaphor! People aren’t like fruit, of course — we can call on our parents for life. (I chose simply never to mature!) Treasure the connection with your folks and try to really get to know them through your adult life. They probably have more to offer than you think.
On 11 December 2007 author Terry Pratchett announced online and with glorious good humour that he’d been diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer’s disease.The news still shocks me, partly because it’s the first time I’ve heard the phrase “eat the arse out of a dead mole” in a press release, but mainly because it’s always a crying shame when terrible things happen to brilliant people.I wanted to help. In an interview with The Times two days later, Pratchett cheerfully told me that I simply wasn’t qualified: “I know it’s a very human thing to say, “Is there anything I can do?” but in this case I would only entertain offers from very high-end experts in brain chemistry.”
I flunked chemistry and biology with crying colours, so I turned to a more traditional way of exploring the problem; I picked up a good book. The hardback I chose was “Going Postal” by the great man himself. On page 17 Pratchett gives a wonderful life lesson that I’d like to share with you today.
Getting past the pineappleGoing Postal tells the story of a skilled con artist forced to turn his life around to change the world for the better. In the opening scene, our troubled trickster ponders the meaning of life while seconds away from death at the gallows:
“What you had to do in this life was get past the pineapple, Moist told himself. It was big and sharp and knobbly, but there might be peaches underneath.”
What a wonderful little nugget of philosophy—a lesson in living from a fruit bowl! Only Pratchett could take a pineapple, add the word “knobbly”, and create a neatly-formed metaphor for overcoming hardship. Here’s what it teaches us:
10 lessons in life from your fruit bowl1. The juicy fruit is often underneathThere will be times when life gets sharp and knobbly. Your challenge is to keep on smiling and look for the tasty treats underneath. It’s a question of balance: without hardship, the good times wouldn’t exist. Never give up—getting past the pineapple is what it’s all about.
2. Wear lightweight armourEver bitten into a whole pineapple? Didn’t think so. They’re tough old beasts at the worst of times, and so should you be. You want a solid outer shell to repel anyone trying to attack you, but you don’t need to harden up as far as the pineapple and dissuade people from talking to you altogether. Those in a full suit of wet copper armour don’t tend to be very approachable. (As Pratchett jokes—especially not in a thunder storm.)
3. Be patientThe moment a pineapple is picked, the fruit stops ripening. It’s a simple idea and a powerful one. Many people seem in a rush to ‘become’ something. Whether it’s a famous musician, a great designer or a problogger, don’t hurry to ripen. Your heroes became famous through hard work and good fortune and you’ll have to do the same. There’s no magic ticket — just take your time and enjoy the ride. Fame should be an added bonus; never a goal.
4. Aim for the sunFew fruits grow in heavy shade. Fewer still revel in the darkness. This creates a lovely two-step metaphor for living: first, you have to leave the darkness of anonymity and actually put yourself out there, both online and off. Second, you have to do something unique if you want to really be noticed — the tallest fruit trees rarely grow in the shade of others.
5. Respect your parentsMost fruit ripens to the point where it’s mature — then it drops and is no longer dependent on the tree. If you’re a parent, you’ll be laughing heartily at this metaphor! People aren’t like fruit, of course — we can call on our parents for life. (I chose simply never to mature!) Treasure the connection with your folks and try to really get to know them through your adult life. They probably have more to offer than you think.
Online Ordering-Dont!
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I got it into my head sometime in December 2004 that I wanted order a laptop computer. I thought I would get one from the hugely popular computer company that allows you to call their 800 number and custom order what you want. Presto, like magic, it appears at your doorstep in days.
Since I live in Mexico, I was forced to order from their online site-in Spanish. The company designed this site for Mexicans only. The order form required four names, a common custom in Latin America, and something called a "RFC" number. At the time I hadn't clue what that was.
I tried filling out the form the best I could, inserting my credit card number, but it would not send and rejected all my attempts. The site was insistent that I had to have four names and an "RFC" number. So I made up something! I put my mother's maiden name and my social security number on the recalcitrant form.
It went through. A customized, popular name brand laptop was on its way! Within days I would finally own a computer whose American TV commercials ("Dude you're getting a ______!") had convinced me that its brand would make my computing life complete.
The next day, the wife and I trudge down to the local Internet Caf to check on my order.
"YOUR ORDER WAS REJECTED-BAD CREDIT CARD!"
That was in my yahoo.com inbox. Of course, I said slapping my forehead, the 4th name (Mom's maiden name) caused the bank to reject the charge.
Home we stomped to call the free 800 number, only it wasn't a free call from Mexico. I talked, screamed, cried, begged, wailed, and threatened until someone, at last, agreed he would fix the problem and send me a computer. Only it was not to be.
On their website, you can check on the status of your order. I did that several days later only to find another nasty message telling me because they could not charge my credit card, they stopped making the computer. Huh?
Back Home, I went to call them again at International Long-Distance rates. This time, the wife gets on the phone because I was lying prostrate on the bed with a cold cloth on my forehead uttering curses at "Dude you're getting a _______!"
My wife spoke with a friendly person who told her the company made a mistake. They would correct it ASAP and told her not to worry.
I moaned in agonizing defeat, "Tell that woman I want to cancel the order!"
When the wife did, they told her they had already shipped the computer and that they would charge us a percentage of the computer's cost to return it as well as the shipping charges both ways. Ok. I changed my mind and said fine. Three weeks passed and no laptop. Each time I
checked, there was no charge on our credit card for this computer.
do it from the conception of the initial idea to driving up to their new Home in another country. Now the potential expatriate can benefit from their more than three years of pre-expat research to their more than two years of actually living in Mexico. The Plain Truth about Living in Mexico answers the potential expatriate's questions by leading them through the process from the beginning to the end. In this comprehensive guide, you will learn not only how-to expatriate but will learn what to expect, in daily life, before coming to Mexico.
Defiantly, I told our landlady, who intercepts all our mail and deliveries, to refuse anything from "Dude you're getting a ________!" Off we went to buy a Compaq Presario desktop here in Mexico (with which we are pleased as punch!).
We took our Christmas vacation in Puerto Vallarta for 12 days and, on our return, we got a phone call from an International Courier service announcing the delivery of a laptop computer from "Dude you're getting a _____!"
Shock, hysterical laughter, murderous rage?these were the emotions that flooded my mind. With the phone receiver shaking in my hand, I told this guy, "I do not want it; send it back."
To this day we have heard not a word from "Dude you're getting a _____!", nor has any charge appeared on our credit card for the customized laptop which they went to great lengths, I am assuming, to construct according to my specifications and sent to us anyway.
I expect them to show up at the door someday wanting their computer back or demanding the money. I plan turning the dogs loose on them and scream as they run for their lives, "Dudes you are NOT getting a _____!"
Expatriates Doug and Cindi Bower have successfully expatriated to Mexico, learning through trial and error how to
I got it into my head sometime in December 2004 that I wanted order a laptop computer. I thought I would get one from the hugely popular computer company that allows you to call their 800 number and custom order what you want. Presto, like magic, it appears at your doorstep in days.
Since I live in Mexico, I was forced to order from their online site-in Spanish. The company designed this site for Mexicans only. The order form required four names, a common custom in Latin America, and something called a "RFC" number. At the time I hadn't clue what that was.
I tried filling out the form the best I could, inserting my credit card number, but it would not send and rejected all my attempts. The site was insistent that I had to have four names and an "RFC" number. So I made up something! I put my mother's maiden name and my social security number on the recalcitrant form.
It went through. A customized, popular name brand laptop was on its way! Within days I would finally own a computer whose American TV commercials ("Dude you're getting a ______!") had convinced me that its brand would make my computing life complete.
The next day, the wife and I trudge down to the local Internet Caf to check on my order.
"YOUR ORDER WAS REJECTED-BAD CREDIT CARD!"
That was in my yahoo.com inbox. Of course, I said slapping my forehead, the 4th name (Mom's maiden name) caused the bank to reject the charge.
Home we stomped to call the free 800 number, only it wasn't a free call from Mexico. I talked, screamed, cried, begged, wailed, and threatened until someone, at last, agreed he would fix the problem and send me a computer. Only it was not to be.
On their website, you can check on the status of your order. I did that several days later only to find another nasty message telling me because they could not charge my credit card, they stopped making the computer. Huh?
Back Home, I went to call them again at International Long-Distance rates. This time, the wife gets on the phone because I was lying prostrate on the bed with a cold cloth on my forehead uttering curses at "Dude you're getting a _______!"
My wife spoke with a friendly person who told her the company made a mistake. They would correct it ASAP and told her not to worry.
I moaned in agonizing defeat, "Tell that woman I want to cancel the order!"
When the wife did, they told her they had already shipped the computer and that they would charge us a percentage of the computer's cost to return it as well as the shipping charges both ways. Ok. I changed my mind and said fine. Three weeks passed and no laptop. Each time I
checked, there was no charge on our credit card for this computer.
do it from the conception of the initial idea to driving up to their new Home in another country. Now the potential expatriate can benefit from their more than three years of pre-expat research to their more than two years of actually living in Mexico. The Plain Truth about Living in Mexico answers the potential expatriate's questions by leading them through the process from the beginning to the end. In this comprehensive guide, you will learn not only how-to expatriate but will learn what to expect, in daily life, before coming to Mexico.
Defiantly, I told our landlady, who intercepts all our mail and deliveries, to refuse anything from "Dude you're getting a ________!" Off we went to buy a Compaq Presario desktop here in Mexico (with which we are pleased as punch!).
We took our Christmas vacation in Puerto Vallarta for 12 days and, on our return, we got a phone call from an International Courier service announcing the delivery of a laptop computer from "Dude you're getting a _____!"
Shock, hysterical laughter, murderous rage?these were the emotions that flooded my mind. With the phone receiver shaking in my hand, I told this guy, "I do not want it; send it back."
To this day we have heard not a word from "Dude you're getting a _____!", nor has any charge appeared on our credit card for the customized laptop which they went to great lengths, I am assuming, to construct according to my specifications and sent to us anyway.
I expect them to show up at the door someday wanting their computer back or demanding the money. I plan turning the dogs loose on them and scream as they run for their lives, "Dudes you are NOT getting a _____!"
Expatriates Doug and Cindi Bower have successfully expatriated to Mexico, learning through trial and error how to
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