Reflections of a crazy Colombian

Hello, my loyal  readers. With this post, I am launchig a new page at Reflections of a Crazy Colombian: Our very own Hollywood Boulevard; heretofore know as The Crazy Colombian’s Hall of Fame. In previous weeks, I have told you of the first four entries in this list:

•  I, Cringely (link)
• Leo Babauta’s Zen Habits (link)
• Seth Godin’s blog (link)
• Randy Cassingham’s This is True (link)

Want to know more about them? Then go to this page. If you’ve already visited them, then you are ready for this week’s addition:

Dan Millman’s The Peaceful Warrior ’s Way (link)

If you have followed my blog for the last couple of months, you will now what a heavy influence Dan Millman’s writing has been on my writing. A Peaceful Warrior himself, Dan has a web site where he promotes his work as a teacher of aware living. Within this web site, he has a no-frills blog that is updated irregularly. And whenever he publishes an article, it is always filled with wisdom. A must read for aspiring Peaceful Warriors like you and I. (What? You don’t know what a Peaceful Warrior is? Head over to this page to learn more)

Image: good camera mistake courtesy of leinadsimpson

Hello, my loyal readers. You might be surprised to find a real post in the middle of my declared posting holiday; but there are some things in life that just can’t wait.

An apology to those that deserve it is such an occasion.

In the last week, it became evident that I made a mistake. By trying to keep my ‘holiday article’ in one piece, at the front-page of my web site, I forgot the most important thing in this blog: The reader’s experience.

Yes; I got a couple of complaints, and I reflected on them. The first one was subtle - a lonely unsubscribe. The following two I sought after: I asked some personal and close family & friend members who read my articles regularly what they thought of my holiday.

What they told surprised me at first, and then not. They said that by simply ‘adding’ the new entry of my favourite Internet authors to the list at the end of the article, I was confusing my readership. And they are absolutely right! I don’t want to send the same old content over and over, just because there is one new paragraph at the end of the article.

A great teacher once told me Love is actions, not words, so my apology will be backed with a new way of continuing my holiday.

Starting today, I will publish a short article every week with the new entry to my list of favourite authors. Starting today too, I am creating a Hall of Fame where I will keep the history of these, so that if you joined us just this week, you can easily find the other authors that have captured our minds & hearts.

We’d like to ask that you accept this apology, and continue visiting our blog in the future. Your support and continued patronage means a lot to us.

- The Crazy Colombian

I need a holiday. Actually, what I need is an anti-holiday. You know, to take some time off and stop doing what I want to do, so that I can do more of the things that I have to do.

As you all know, my dear readers, I I write because I want to, and do it regularly because I value your patronage. But this means that when I get too busy in real life, I need to slow down, and start paying attention to the things that pay for my mortgage, buy food for my family, and send my children to school. Which is why today I am putting my pencil in the drawer for the coming eight weeks. I need to invest my time and energy in doing things that I’d rather not be doing, but that need to get done.

My gift to you

Don’t despair! As usual, bad news come in the company of priceless gifts. Because I know some of you depend on my publishing efforts, I have devised a clever little plan to keep your addiction well-fed. At the end of this article you will find two lists. The first one is a list of my all-time favourite articles from this blog. In some cases they will be short; in some others they will be a bit longer, and in one case I will refer you to an entire series of articles. Either way, I am making it easy for you to visit some of my best writing to which you probably have not been previously exposed.

The second list is very short today: one entry only, and will grow by one entry every week during my anti-holiday. Yes, I will still publish every Monday by adding a new entry in the list. This list is my best-kept secret: A list of my favourite on-line authors and their work. Some of them deal with the environment; others with writing and the creative process; a few more with technology and productivity. Yet there are 3 things that links them all: the author’s passion for the chosen topic; the quality of writing; and a generous outlook in giving it all away for free.

Your gift to me?

I knew you’d ask, so yes; there are a few things you can do to help me. And they don’t cost any money. If you want to give back to this father of 2 who is trying to figure out how to make a living out of what he loves the most, then read on.

Have you noticed the ads on the right of this blog? They were my pathetic attempt at making a living out of writing. I say pathetic because my advertising revenue over the life of this blog (2 years) has been $0.11. Yes, you read it right. A whooping ELEVEN CENTS. I had heard horror stories of bloggers getting small amounts from Adsense, but this is ridiculous!

So if you want to help me, there are four things you can do:

1. Give me some feeback. In a previous post I asked for feedback about this blog, to which I got no answers. I really want to make your day every time you visit us. Please spend 5 minutes of your busy day answering any of the questions I asked in the original article, and publish them in the comments section.
2. Give me dangerous ideas. In another previous post, I asked you what topics you’d like me to write about. Again, I got no replies. Zip. Nada. Zero. Why not take 5 seconds right now and leave a comment where you can tell me the topics you’ve enjoyed reading and/or those you’d like me to write about?
3. Give me a compliment. If you like my writing, please let me know. It gets kind of lonely around here! All you need to do is leave a comment to your favourite article or send us a message via our about page. Since you really like my writing, you should also let others know. Go to your favourite article and Stumble It, Digg it, or Bookmark it with del.i.cious (or whatever social bookmarking service you use).If you don’t use any, then send an email to your friends telling them about it. The choice is yours.
4. Give me a present. Want to show me your appreciation by giving me some of your hard-earned-greens? Then you need to go to this page and Just Do It. I have so many options, you can give as little or as much as you want. Seriously.

The Crazy Colombian’s favourite articles

It was very hard to decide, but I’ve made my choices. My 5 favourite articles of all time are:

• FIFTH PLACE
  
• FOURTH PLACE
  
• THIRD PLACE
  
• RUNNER-UP
  
• WINNER
  

How about you? What are your favourite articles? Let us know in the comments section of this post.

The Crazy Colombian’s favourite on-line authors

Here is the list that will grow, one item per week over the coming 8 weeks. This is the ‘creme-de-la-creme‘ of internet writing. I am sure in this list you will find a some additional subscriptions to suit your taste. Enjoy!

I, Cringely (link)

Written by The God of Knowledge in the information era, “I, Cringely” is updated weekly with unusual insights into the world of technology. With 30 years in-and-around the personal computer industry, Bob Cringely has developed a unique ability to spot trends and insights.While reading his ramblings about Google’s plans of world domination; his tale of how IBM is dying a slow dinosaur-like death; or discovering how a bunch of rocket-scientists will save the world from global warming by flying kites, you will find that Bob’s articles are short, packed with information, and entertaining. I strongly recommend you subscribe to his blog or podcast now.

Zen Habits (link)

How would you like to regularly receive articles that will help you achieve goals, increase your productivity, be more organized, Get Things Done? And what if the same subscription helped you increase your motivation, gave you ideas for simplifying your life, guided you in your quest for happiness, and coached you in successfully implementing good habits ?

Welcome to Zen Habits, the creation of Leo Babauta and source of inspiration for thousands of people. Leo is a father of six, lives in Guam, and spends his life, writing, running, and writing his reflections in this highly popular blog. Some of his most popular articles are a bit more grounded and full of tips on eliminating debt, saving, getting a flat stomach, eating healthy, living frugal and parenting; so don’t let the mystic name of his web site keep you away from visiting this fantastic resource.

Seth Godin (link)

Did anyone say The Father of permission marketing? According to his online official biography, Seth “writes the most popular marketing blog in the world;is the author of the bestselling marketing books of the last decade;speaks to large groups on marketing, new media and what’s next;and is the founder of Squidoo.com, a fast-growing recommendation website.”(link) If you want to read from America’s greatest marketer, head over to his blog. You will not regret it!

Randy Cassingham’s This is True (link)

If you want to read from the person who invented internet publishing, Randy Casingham is The Man. Randy is well known for his weekly publication This is True, a compilation of bizarre-but-true news stories from legitimate newspapers from around the world (never “tabloids”). Randy ends each story with a tag-line which is either humorous, ironic or opinionated. An online pioneer, Randy started This is True since June 1994, and has launched several other publications including The True Stella Awards; Heroic Stories; Jumbo Jokes; and Cranky Customer. If you want to read insightful commentary from someone who was there before the ‘Net was born, head over to Randy’s web site or blog and subscribe for free

Image: Taal View 2 HDR courtesy of Sir Mervs

Today’s guest post comes to you from Christy Andronicus, co-founder & Director of Success & You. In this article, Christy tells us about the nature of Ego, how to act from a place of good spirit, and the secret behind having confidence in yourself.

To have confidence is to love and trust in the person you are.

It is common in today’s society to be ridiculed and made fun of for “loving yourself” or “having a big head”. As a result many people of our times have low self-esteem, depression and a belief system that constantly reminds them that they are not worthy. [Read more →]

Image: IMG_4937 courtesy of jeaneeem

If you’re new to this series, you may want to go to this article to learn how this all started. In this last article of a 6-part series, I will describe in detail why really showing your audience that you appreciate their support is an important part of being a super start that people love; and will use a couple of examples from Michael Bublé’s concert on the 31 May, 2008 to illustrate it.

The importance of giving back

So you’re now a Super Star; all those fans that adore you and idolise you constantly make you feel you are invulnerable. But remember: you too are human. After all, we all start from the same place; an innocent, naked bundle of cries and love who is totally and utterly dependent in others (especially Mum) to survive in this world. [Read more →]

Image: IMG_4887 courtesy of jeaneeem

If you’re new to this series, you may want to go to this article to learn how this all started. In this fourth article of a 6-part series, I will describe in detail why having a sense of humour - and using it! - is an important part of being a super start that people love; and will use a couple of examples from Michael Bublé’s concert on the 31 May, 2008 to illustrate it. [Read more →]

Image: IMG_4844 courtesy of jeaneeem

If you’re new to this series, you may want to go to this article to learn how this all started. In this fourth article of a 6-part series, I will describe why it is important for Super Stars to behave like vulnerable human beings if they are to be truly loved by their audience; and will use a couple of examples from Michael Bublé’s concert on the 31 May, 2008 to illustrate how you can do it. [Read more →]

Image: IMG_4872 courtesy of jeaneeem

If you’re new to this series, you may want to go to this article to learn how this all started. In this third article of a 6-part series, I will describe in detail why appreciating your crew is an important part of being a super start that people love; and will use a couple of examples from Michael Bublé’s concert on the 31 May, 2008 to illustrate it.

The importance of your crew

Most rock concerts start with a supporting act that warms up the audience for the main act; Like an entree to a great meal, it opens up your taste buds for what comes next. Supporting acts create a win-win-win situation: The supporting artist wins by getting the exposure to thousands of fans, something they usually need as a rising star; The main artist wins by having the audience primed and ready for the main event, with energy levels on the rise; and the audience wins by learning about yet another artist that they probably had never heard of.

[Read more →]

Image: IMG_4979 courtesy of jeaneeem

If you’re new to this series, you may want to go to this article to learn how this all started. In this second article of a 6-part series, I will describe in detail why engaging your audience is an important part of being a super start that people love; and will use a couple of examples from Michael Bublé’s concert on the 31 May, 2008 to illustrate it. [Read more →]

Image: IMG_2508 courtesy of beggs

Disclaimer & Introduction

Disclaimer: I have written & published this article in a rush; in fact, I have decided to publish this on  Wednesday night instead of sticking to my new timetable of Thursdays. Why? Because I want you to get it before the download link for the radio program I am about to review goes dead. Unfortunately, that means I have done almost no editing on this article.  In this column I will review the episode of the 17th of May from the Radio National program All in the Mind, a weekly program on Australia’s Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). This program is available for downloading as a podcast for a limited time (about 2 weeks left, I believe),and I wanted you to have a chance to actually listen to the program . If you decide to listen to it right new before you continue reading, click here (a new window will open with an on-line player inside). If you prefer to download and listen to it on your favourite media player, right-click here instead and save the file to your computer. If you have no luck with those links because they have been taken off-line, then you can read the transcript here . Like I have already mentioned this review has almost no editing, so you are likely to find some rough edges; I hope the content will be worthwhile enough to make any grammatical mishaps easier to forgive.

First, I will introduce you to the wonderful world of podcasting and the universe of information it can open for you. I will then quickly present 3 of the more intriguing excerpts from the 17 May episode, and provide some short commentary. Let’s get started!

[Read more →]