Merlins Tower

Hack your Brain - Various Ways to Overclock it

Posted on February 26th, 2007 by Merlin.
Categories: Food, Hack, Health, Life.

I love reading about ways to try and make you smarter and the various tricks that can be used to help you look at life a little differently. Today I found an interesting article on 22 ways to overclock your brain. I have to admit some of the ways are common sense that we have heard for years. Such as Item #11: Be a Thinker - Not a Drinker. Remember that drinking helps kill off some of your brain cells when you get drunk but moderate drinking can help the brain latter in life.

Rule #12 is Fun - PLAY - Thats right play a game, do a puzzle, have fun but make sure you are doing an activity that challenges your brain.  

But I have to say Rule #16 Passion - Do what you are passionate about - I do that everyday and work and play and read about the things in life that make me tick and want to live. I love learning new and creative things, I love learning more about blogs and blogging, I love Photography, and that is all the things that keep me going. I firmly believe in this rule.

Now go out and have some fish - it is lent… 

Ideas from Ririan Project: 22 Ways to Overclock your brain.

Technorati Tags: , brain, hack, overclocking, overclock, hacking, passion

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DIY: Auto To-Go Tissue Holder and Picture Frame

Posted on February 14th, 2007 by Merlin.
Categories: Anything Else, Art, Craft, DIY, Health, Office, Weird Stuff.

I just finished making of these tissue holders. No more needing to purchase the small boxes or the really rough tissue that rips your nose a new hole. I really wanted an easy way to have tissues in the car that I didn't have to toss on the back seat or just was just some lousy quality nose tissues (Ahh I love Puffs and Kleenex Brand with Lotion). Sorry I like comfort when I have to blow my nose. 

First, This project didn't take that long to do and it was not that expensive and can easily be refilled. And don't forget these are pretty cool looking. You can even decorate the cup if you are really feeling creative. I didn't but I know a few people that would take their kids image and print it out on their printer and glue it to the cup to have another photo of their kid to talk about. :-)  Well actually you can put what ever you want on the cup and make it happy as if you need a tissue you probably are not feeling too well.

For Complete directions Check out:
Curbly: How to Make a Coffee Cup Tissue Holder

Images for decorating the cup Just a few Samples From Google Images:

A photo of some Germs or a photo of a nice Vacation Spot - Hmm - I could use a nice Cruise Ship or a nice sunny spot on a beach in Florida - Hey I have some friends in Fort Meyers - Hmmm I wonder if they have some room for me and my cat until Pennsylvania Thaws. Did I ever mention I hate  -ok- Despise Winter and the Freezing Rain - Snow - and all the salt all over the car. Yet alone getting sick. YUCK.

Technorati Tags: Coffee, Cup, Tissue, Holder, DIY, Craft, germ, warfare, vacation, cup, cheap, inexpensive, easy, fun, decoration, office, auto, car, van

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Free Wallpaper: Make a Life

Posted on January 21st, 2007 by Merlin.
Categories: Communication, GTD, Hack, Health, Human, Life.

Had to share this wallpaper I found on Anabubula.com - A very simple message - Never get so busy making a living that your forget to make a LIFE! - A very simple message that everyone should remember.

Are you putting your real life on hold while you are at work trying to make a life that you forget you already have a life? Sometimes people put making money higher on their list of priorities then actually having a life. Do you remember your Friends, Family, etc while you are putting your career ahead of your life. What good does having money and that next bigger  and better item if you are not there to share and use the rewards of your hard work. Remember there really is more to life then just making money. Questions to ask yourself? Does your son await you to come home from work to play with you but you work late and put your family second? Do you cancel time out with friends to stay at the office - You need to make time for yourself to live and enjoy life to the fullest. This reminds me of that quote of the old man on his death bed saying I wish I stayed at the office longer, I wish I skipped lunches out in the park, I wish I put off the hikes in the park to work more. Of course you will never hear that. So what are your priorities in life? Today is that day that you sit back - take a deep breath and see where you are going, what you are doing, and use all the tools you may have at your finger tips (GTD, Organization Tools, Franklin Covey System, Index Cards, Notecards, etc…) and set your priorities. Make sure you schedule some time for yourself and MAKE A LIFE.

Technorati Tags: GTD, Franklin, Covey, Index, Cards, notecards, 3×5, life, priorities, priority, family, hack, living, time, management

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Tips on Cutting the Risk of getting the Cold / Flu bug

Posted on December 11th, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Hack, Health, Web Service.

I felt this was an important thing to remind people that yes it is now cold and flu season and there are definite was to cut down on  getting sick. Find me a cure has a list of 23 different ways to reduce the risk of getting a cold / flu. Since I work with different people and their keyboards I always carry around with me a little bottle of Purex Hand Sanitizer plus when I am done working at their desks I try to wash my hands with soap and water before leaving if at all possible.

Some of the other suggestions is to use a paper towel to turn off the water spigot when washing your hands and then use another one to open the door as there are a large percentage of people that don't wash their hands afterwards. (Well that is just sick pun intended)

Another tip is to wash twice to remove even more germs then a single wash.

And Yet Another tip is to use your knuckle to rub your eyes as the eyes are a perfect entry point for germs and the knuckle tends to have less germs then the finger tips.

Another is to cough / sneeze into your arm not your hand as you don't use your elbow to shake hand or touch objects etc… and less likely to spread them around. (Well this helps others not catch what you got and helps not get your cold back again.)

Another tips is to blot/rub your nose gently don't blow hard as that just puts the germs back into the sinus cavity.

Their list had plenty of common sense tips as well as a few that seemed over the top. But if you don't want to get sick being extreme might help.

Merlin - Keep Healthy

PS - What are you ways to prevent getting sick and what do you do when you do get sick?

TAGS: cold flu prevention sick health hack

3 comments.

The King of Shaves - Free Samples

Posted on December 2nd, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Health, Shaving.

Greetings Everyone: - I just was made aware of a Free Sample Pack of Various "King of Shaves" products. - I have used their products in the past but it has been sometime since I have seen it in the local store. - I really liked using the shave oil when shaving. It really did make shaving a pleasure and it really did reduce the skin irritation that I normally would receive with some of the other products. I would like to retry this and see if it works as well as using a nice shave brush and shaving soap. I normally shave right after taking my morning shower - I feel this helps get a closer shave and a better feel. 

Check out these hints from King of Shave Shaving Tips. 

And Ladies don't feel slighted with todays post - They also carry products for you as well.

TAGS: Adult shaving king+of+shaves shave men brush shave+bursh

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Top 5 of Merlin Mann’s Ways to Improve Your Life

Posted on October 12th, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Anything Else, GTD, Hack, Health.

Merlin Mann of 43Folders was interviewed for an article in the National Post.

He was asked what are the Top Ways to Improve Your Life. This really is a great list of "Hints" that makes you go Hmm. As the post states these are the Super Obvious - No-Duh list of great ways to improve your life.

I recommend that you take a few moments out of your busy schedule to read thru this article and see where you can improve.

I will only shortly describe these as I recommend you heading to 43Folders to Read the full thing. And note I added my own 2 cents to this list as well.

1) Reduce Noise - Not hearing noise but the little things that are calling out for your attention. Do you really need all the messages from all the google or yahoo groups emailed to you daily. Keep the ones you read - get rid of the ones that you delete most of the time. You can also reduce noise and distractions by using your email and voicemail wisely.(see #3) If you are in the middle of a project you don't have to answer that phone. Then let the person go to voicemail - you can check them when you set time aside for it.

2) Write Things Down - I stress this one everyday - If you know you will forget why not take out that nice pen or bic pen and jot a little note to yourself that will remind you. As Merlin puts it quite well - the mind is not a very good whiteboard. So use those Moleskines, use that new Miquelrius Journal, Or use that nice new leather notepad from Levenger. If you are like me write it down to remember it. Why "Try" to remember when it only takes a few seconds to jot a note. I know I used to waste more time trying to remember then it did to write it down.

3) Focus on Action - Use the books you bought like Getting Things Done and convert your life to a nice list of actions instead of trying to "what should I be doing" Everything you do is a physical action - so focus on it.

4) Get out of your INBOX: Be it the physical Inbox on your desk, or the virtual inbox of email. Set some time aside to go thru it but don't become slave to it.

5) Get Pickier with Your Time: This I feel should have been #1 on the list. You and you alone are responsible for how you spend your time. Do you waist time doing "junk items", You know what is important to your heart but do you make time for it?  As Merlin Put it - Do you look at your blackberry more then you hug your child? What really is more important? Do you set time aside to fill your soul? Did you make an appointment to pray? Basically are you putting enough into the things that really matter?

Great Article Merlin -

Resource Links - Merlin Mann's Top 5 List of Super-Obvious "no-duhs" ways to improve your life. 

Tags: Life, Hack,  GTD, organization, Working

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Wine Saver - The Vacu Vin

Posted on September 29th, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Gadgets, Health.

Who doesn’t enjoy a nice glass of wine with their dinner. I know I enjoy a glass every once in a while. With the Vacu Vin you can now save the wine for 3 or 4 days without it going bad. The Vacu Vin uses rubber stoppers that you put into the top and then with their pump you remove most of the air from the bottle. This creates a vacuum in the bottle keeping the wine fresh. I have been using one of these for years and I needed to order a few new rubber stoppers. To my surprise they redesigned them. The new rubber stoppers now will make a clicking sound when you removed enough air from the bottle. This really is a great improvement as before you pretty much had to guess how much air you removed. The reason to remove the air is to slow down the oxidation process that starts to happen when wine is introduced to air. Just remember these are not to be used with “Sparkling” wines doing so will make them go flat.

Now you don’t have any excuse not to open a nice bottle of wine and serve up a nice cheese platter, some grapes and some crackers and enjoy some nice company and a great evening. Plus you will not feel the need to finish the whole bottle as now you can save it for a few days without it turning into vinegar.

But Wait - Don’t know much about wine check out TheWineDoctor.com - Great resource in where to buy wine, How to read a Wine Label, What Wine Goes with What dinner, Nice Advice on Decanting Wine, Wine Serving Temperature, Choosing Wine Glasses, Making a wine Cellar and Most Important How to Taste Wine.

Additional Resources:
Vacu-Vin Website
Purchase One On Amazon

Tags: Wine, Saving, Hints, Tips, Hack, Vacuum, Wine Party, Wine Tasting, VacuVin

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