Supercool School

Best Productivity Post Ever!

Stop reading and go to work.
P.S. If that's not enough help - go check out RescueTime

Jay-Z Knows The Secret To Successful Blogging

Replace the word song with [post] in the chorus of My 1st Song and you know everything you need to know to become a better blogger, teacher, student, entepreneur, coder...pretty much everything:

"It's my life - it's my pain and my struggle
The [post] that I [write] to you it's my ev-ery-thing
Treat my first like my last, and my last like my first
And my thirst is the same as - when I came
It's my joy and my tears and the laughter it brings to me
It's my ev-ery-thing"
 

Simpsonize Me

It's funny, one week ago David and I were talking about an idea. We both love the Simpsons and we where talking about a website that would let you create a Simpsons character by uploading a picture from yourself.

As it turns out - no idea is an island: Check out Simpsonize Me

That`s my Simpsons-Alter-Ego ;)

Minorities turning into Majorities

While it's not surprising to me that the majority of people who take the number 9 bus from mission to union square are Hispanics ( only one Greek when I'm on the bus ;) ), it's very interesting to observe today that the majority of people sitting in the San Francisco city library are Asians. Got me thinking.

Hmm...any other surprising areas where we can find a minority turning into a majority?

Live Event Vs. Podcast

Is a live event always better then the podcast? I say nope. Sometimes it is, but I would argue that tonites event with Jimbo Wales at the commonwealth club in San Francisco was not such an event. I was there, but not very impressed. Mr. Wales was great but the muggy air, single-spaced & uncomfortable seats and the overall rigid atmosphere made me jeleaous of all the people who listened to the podcast in their shorts, zipping on a cold beer and spending the 20 bucks they saved to buy a pair of toms shoes.

So don't feel bad if you can't attend at every amazing event you would like to. We live in a wonderful world full of podcasts, youtubes & flickrs. Chances are that you don't miss as much as you think. Enjoy life - we live in amazing times...

Don't be evil? Be good? Nah - Google still don't get it

Googles corporate motto is "Don't be evil."

I think that's a dumb-ass motto. Anyone who understands a bit about language knows what I mean.

It's like saying don't think for one minute about a blue elephant. Can you? Just one minute without thinking about a blue elephant?!

Did you see a mental picture of a blue elephant even for one sec.?! Yes you did...c'mon admit it..

The evil reason why we have to imagine a evil blue elephant is because our evil unconscious can't ( it's ironic ) process evil negations like no, don't, won't, can't etc...

What happens is that we have to make a mental image of a blue elephant in order to understand what we shouldn't do ( that's how our mind processes language).

All this happens unconsciously.

So saying don't do this, don't do that, causes our mind to focus on exactly what you want to avoid.

Anyway...enough about linguistics...back to the topic:

Googles motto isn't total bullshit. It isn't total idiotic. It just sucks ;)

I thought that "Be good" would be a better google motto. But after seeing an evil interview with Sergey Brin admitting that their motto isn't really good and saying that "Be good" would have been a better evil motto I thought about it for a evil minute and changed my evil mind.

Damn. "Be good" sucks as well. Although it sucks less than "Don't be evil".

So what's a better...eh...a good motto? How about "Do Good"?

Yeahh! "Do good" would be the perfect motto for a company that wants to DO exactly that: GOOD! I love google and admire what they have done so far. No doubt that they actually changed the world ( instead of bitching about negations like me ;) ).

But in the end, it's what a company does, not what the company is that distinguishes good from evil. And google has done some real good stuff so far!

Hmm...well since it's too late for them...maybe we should take "Do good" as the motto for our Supercool School. What do you think?

8 Random Things About Me - Is this really interesting?!

I've been tagged before for the "8 Random Facts Meme" but after my buddy William Tully decided to tag me as well, I'm giving up and posting 7 Random Facts About Me here.

Why 7 and not 8? Well, I'm wondering if my readers are really interested in this kind of information so I'm letting you ask me for a specific thing you want to know about in the comment section ( my guess is that nobody will ask, but let's find out).

1. I love dumb ass action movies from the 80s
2. I play the guitar, bass & keyboard
3. I'm skating and I'm about to start taking yoga classes
4. I told my mom when I was 8 years old that I would change the world
5. I have two older brothers
6. I have robbed a bank with a banana ( for evidence click here)
7. I speak Greek, German, English and I want to learn Chinese in the near future
8. Ask me anything in the comment section and I will answer :)

If you read this and think that you want to share 8 ( or 7) random things about you with the world - feel tagged!

Paddle Punishment In Schools - Why We Still Do It Even If We Think We Don't

Are you left-handed? I'm just curious. Remember a time where you'd better not be left-handed in school?

Left-handed kids got punished and hit with a paddle every time they used their left hand to write. It was forbidden to be left-handed. Can you believe that?!?!

Yesterday, David told me the story of his grandfather that stuttered his whole life as a result of being forced to use his right hand to write in school. Man, I could puke when I think about it! It's making me sick!

Well, you might say times have changed - right? Wrong!

The only thing that has changed is that the paddle disappeared from the classroom ( thank god). But the basic concept of sameness is still being used to punish every kid that doesn't fit into the norm. They don't punish you with physical force - but with psychological ( not sure which is worse - ahh...both suck anyway).

Think about it. As long as the result of being different in the classroom is punishment ( with low grades, low self-esteem, low respect) our school-system sucks. Because we cripple the potential and creativity of our kids. We preach sameness in a beautiful world of variety and this leads to unused human potential, talent and genius.

Don't get me wrong - I'm really happy about the fact that the paddle disappeared in our classrooms. What I'm saying is that it's not enough. The concept, believe and thinking behind the paddle has to disappear as well.

Trying to force every kid into one pre-defined system is the root of the problem. And I believe that we are ready for this change now. We did the first step some time ago...now is the time for the second step. Let's ban the concept behind the paddle from our classrooms and our hearts. Let's stimulate the beauty of variety in our kids and in us all!

Activity vs. Identity

I had a meeting with a lawyer last week. Her last name was Batman. No kidding! I just thought that's the coolest name every!!! Think about ALL the possibilities that a name like this can give you...

But on the other side: it's not your name that defines you - it's who you are underneath. Or even better...

"Deep down you may still be that same great kid you used to be. But it's
not who you are underneath, it's what you do that defines you.
" From The Movie Batman Begins

M.I.A. - Sri Lakan Rapper Kicks Ass

M.I.A. is one of the most interesting artists I've come across this year ( thankx to MC Kelso ;) ). She is a rapper, singer & visual artist that has causes quite some controversy. Seems to be the music week on this blog ;)

From the wikipedia article:

The nature of M.I.A.'s art work and lyrics has led to controversy. MTV refused to play the video of her single "Sunshowers" until a reference to the PLO was removed from the song, and the artist was denied a visa to enter the US around April/May 2006.  M.I.A. has however previously stated in an interview about censorship of her work:

“

From Day One, this has been a mad, crazy thing: I say the things I'm not supposed to say, I look wrong, my music doesn't sound comfortable for any radio stations or genres, people are having issues with my videos when they're not rude or explicit or crazy controversial. I find it all really funny.

”

I admit that you need some time to get her sound, read her lyrics and research about her history till you can get really into her groove but then - WOW! She kicks-ass for sure and I love it!

So for all the "free-minded-original-music-loving-spirits" out there: M.I.A is worth  listening to.