A while ago, I admitted to my girlfriend that I often read articles from the bottom up. Apparently and to my surprise, that was a little weird. I’m pretty sure, though, that I’m not the only one who enjoys this reverse experience.

I do usually start at the beginning of an article. What happens is, that after a few paragraphs, I decide to skip everything in the middle and go straight to the last paragraph. From there, I read my way up again until I reach the paragraphs on top were I stopped reading earlier.

Of course, I don’t always use this method. When the author has me hanging on his lips from the start or when the article is rather short, I do continue reading from the top down. It’s in all those other cases, where I’m on the fence whether the article is interesting enough to dedicate a part of my life to or so boring that I’d rather watch our mini sunflowers grow.

These are some of the reasons why I end up on that fence:

• Too long introduction: sometimes a good article starts of with one of those dreaded long introduction paragraphs.
• The never-ending lane: I start reading and even though it is rather interesting, it just doesn’t seem to ever come to an end. There are still so many pages left and it feels like it’s going to take forever to get through them.
• Action-reaction obviousness: every action asks for a reaction, yet these reactions are rarely very surprising. Yet, when you read about the reaction first, it makes you a lot more curious about what the action could’ve been.
• Pure text: people should learn to use enough white spaces, images or other things to give their articles some breathing space. Pure text, all cramped together, isn’t very inviting to read. Reading this from the bottom up makes it, for some reason, go down a lot easier.

So, in stead of wrestling myself through the article or giving up on it altogether, I just skip everything and start reading the last paragraph. If that one re-grasps my attention, then I just read the one on top of that one next and so on and so on …

Go ahead, give it a try yourself! It can’t (physically) hurt

In my opinion, laziness is misunderstood by those who do not feel it. When people are doing nothing, it’s often labelled as being lazy. Yet, this statement doesn’t automatically make the opposite true. Being lazy isn’t about doing nothing, it’s about doing everything you want to do in the most effective way possible. There’s a sort of challenge in finding the simplest way to do a task, finding new ways, broadening your horizons and in the end discovering the least time consuming, simplest and most effective vision.

This challenge hasn’t gone unnoticed by others either:

1. Occam’s Razor: this principle says that entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity.  Meaning that the explanation with the fewest assumptions, is usually the correct one. Don’t assume too much, the simplest solution is most likely the one you’re after.
2. KISS Principle, which stands for Keep It Simple Stupid. Not implying that people might be stupid, but to remember that when you break down a problem correctly, simple solutions can probably fix it and anyone (even the average) would be able to maintain it, should something go wrong. Unnecessary complexity only leads to clutter and should, at all times, be avoided.
3. Pareto Principle, also known as the 80-20 rule. This principle states that, for most cases, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. So, by just focusing on the most important 20% of the causes, you can handle 80% of  the issues. This will save a lot of time and in some cases money.
4. The Worse is Better Principle: the idea behind it is that quality does not necessarily increase with functionality. At some point less functionality (worse) is the better option in terms of practicality and usability. Try to only implement things when you actually need them, never when you just foresee that you might-one-day-could need them.
5. Similar concepts can be found in Albert Einstein‘s “everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler”, Leonardo Da Vinci‘s “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” or Antoine de Saint Exupéry‘s “It seems that perfection is reached not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away”.

We are trying too hard. We always want more and better things and for some reason we have ourselves convinced that these two go hand in hand. As a result, we tend to over complicate problems and lose too much time on things that were never important to begin with. Simplicity leads to effectiveness, effectiveness leads to saving time and effort and saving time and effort leads to laziness. “Be lazy” … if you can’t say it, you can’t be it .

Do yourself (and everyone else) a favor and be lazy, go for the simplest solution!

Dropbox is available for every OS out there: OS X, Windows, Iphone, Blackberry, Android, … and they have an online interface. When you install their software on your device of choice, it creates a simple folder which you can use like any other folder on your device, with the benefit that it automatically syncs with the data online and any other device on which the software is installed. When you add/remove or alter any content, it will automatically update the content online and on other devices too. This way, you always have the same, up-to-date data anywhere you need it.

Not only can you keep your own documents in sync and have an automatic backup of your data, you can also create a shared folder where you can drop files that you want others to be able to access.

With its 2GB you get a decent amount of online space where you can work with. You can increase this volume by taking their tour, adding a second computer, inviting other people, … or of course, by buying more space.

Download dropbox here and give it a try. I’m sure you’ll love it!

I’d never been here before, but in my mind it has always been a place of wonder, where time stood still in the cracks of the old buildings breathing their history in the ears of anyone willing to listen, wandering the alleys of cities home to the forgotten.
Forgotten, a word that my mind turns into the pure sensation of ecstasy. How I would love to be forgotten, the world passing me by and leaving me to drown in the peace and quiet still offered daily by those whispering alley voices, almost begging me to surrender to them.

But, like I said, I’d never been here before and my mind is not always the most reliable judge of reality. There’s a certain heat in the air here that seems to slow people down, though it’s incapable of keeping them from constantly moving. So many of them crawling through the streets utterly ignorant of all the ones who’ve walked before them. If there ever were voices of wisdom enchanting these alleys, they’ve slowly faded from loneliness. It are the souls no longer present that are forgotten here, not the creatures inhabiting these cities.

Ever since I’ve arrived here, I, too, can feel the heat constantly accompanying me, nicely wrapped around my body, even slowing down my mind. There are moments I truly believe that this could be what peace and quiet actually feels like.
I’ve been here for two weeks now and although I still very much enjoy the way it makes me feel, I can also sense the moments it’s slowly losing its grip on me. Fragments of darkness slip in, reminding me of all the sweet things I’m missing out of. They make me smile as I take them as a sign that I’m almost ready to go home again.

“This place can really make you smile, can’t it?”

For a moment I’m puzzled whether it’s a voice in my head, but looking at the enormous smile directly facing me from the man standing next to me, I doubt I’d be so lucky. My smile wasn’t an invitation for a conversation. Then again, maybe there’s no harm in indulging my darkness just a tiny bit.

“It most definitely can. This is one of the most amazing views I’ve ever seen in my life.”

The view really is amazing, clear blue ocean as far the eye can reach, kissing a cloudless sky at the horizon. When you look very closely, you can even be found guilty of voyeurism by the local ocean life.

“I come here every morning, it reminds me of how lucky I am. Do you live around here?”, the man asks. He still has this ridiculously big smile covering his entire face.

“No, I’m just here on vacation, enjoying the quiet life as long as I can.”

I try to keep a smile, but I don’t want to seem like I’m faking it. My hand places itself into my pocket as if it’s trying to find a nice relaxing place to lay itself down and enjoy the view in its own way. Only that’s not it, is it? Suddenly, I realize I’m smiling again. I can almost smell the wood from the handle of the knife in my hand, I can feel my fingers play with its shape and I can sense the blade begging me to caress his body and cover its cold steel in his warm blood.

“Would you like to join me for a drink?”

I can hear his nerves acting up in the tone of his voice. He must have picked up on my longing smile and the lust my eyes are most definitely projecting right now. I remind myself I’m on vacation, there is only looking, not touching. The fantasy played out in front of my eyes, yet not the fulfillment of the deed itself. Knowing I’m letting him go, reduces my smile without any effort necessary from my part.

“Thank you for the offer, but no, I should really be heading back to my hotel. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

I can see the disappointment in his eyes, yet his smile is unwilling to reduce by even an inch. He wishes me the same, I turn around, feel my body hesitating for a moment and then I part.

Only a few more days left in this paradise, a few more days to feel the peace and quiet I yearned for when I decided to come here. Now, all I’m yearning for is my sweet indulging life at home. I guess, there really is nothing like a vacation to clear the mind.

“What is it in us that seeks the truth? Is it our minds or is it our hearts?”
That quote keeps begging my ego to pay attention to it. But why? Is the truth that my mind perceives not the same as the one that my heart feels?

During confusing times like these, I like going down to the cemetery and visit the graves of all the people I once knew. That’s why I’m here right now. They may not talk back to me or provide me with any insights that are not my own, but being here soothes my mind and opens my heart. If there would be such a place where these two could wage their war, it would be here.

“He was a friend of yours?”, a strange voice suddenly asks.
It’s an elderly woman, probably his mother. She struggles with her balance while she kneels by the grave to lay down some flowers. I help her up again and we share a smile of compassion that we both seem to appreciate.

“No, I only knew him briefly. In that short time, though, I loved him for his strength and his good heart. He was …” I pause for a minute and she completes my sentence “taken away from us too quickly.”

All I can do is nod in agreement. She wasn’t there that night, but he really was.

“He was my son.”, she continues.

I was right. I never know them for very long, but I never forget their faces either.

I look at the old woman’s tears and I wonder what it is about the truth that scares me so much. I guess the truth could change everything. She’s a sweet, gentle woman now, but if she knew only a tiny portion of the truth, she wouldn’t smile, but scream at me. She wouldn’t thank me, but condemn me to hell and if it were in her power, she would even send me there herself. The truth could change everything and I guess my heart feels it, while my mind is still convinced that it will never see the light of day.

I overlook the cemetery, proud of all the graves that are there because of me and I realize that my heart is right, there are some truths that even the grave cannot keep buried forever.

I remember being drawn to this massive light coming from a door guarding the house of God. As if the whole city had conspired into dimming its lights, just so this church, at this moment, would catch my eye.

I remember walking through it. Familiar looks on unfamiliar faces tried to find my eyes, but I just fled to the sympathy of the tiles from the floor carrying my weight, while walking to the third row. There was one seat left between an old man who was silently praying and a middle-aged insecure woman who seemed to believe that she could hide behind a constant smile. I consider myself a good person, so I held up her illusion, gave her a smile and sat down on the third seat in the third row.

I remember that only a few minutes later, the ceremony started. There was lots of singing, group praying and preaching. None really appealed to me. Singing has never been my strong suit, that’s why I’m a firm believer of only singing in the shower or when I’m alone in the car. Group praying always reminds me of a secret sect that slowly robs you of your own voice and preaching … let’s just say the words never stuck.

At the end of the ceremony, though, the priest stepped up to the microphone for a final announcement. The tone of his voice suddenly made me feel uneasy and his words glued me to my chair as he uttered them looking straight at me: “For those willing, I will be at this side of the church taking confessions.” Could he have really been talking to me? The curiosity of my ego just had to find out.

And here I am, sitting eye to eye with a priest.

“Maybe it’s easier if you start talking about why you think you had to come over here. Anything you want to say, anything at all, God will absolve you from it and it will no longer be your burden to carry.”

Although I know it would be for many, my actions have never been a burden to me. I do like, however, how the words “God will absolve you” keep echoing in my head. My ego begs me not to walk away from the one on one attention it’s getting right now, so I decide to stay in the conversation.

“I might have hurt some people in the past.”

“Yes …”, the priest whispers with a voice hungry for more.

“And I probably told some lies.”, I try to conclude.

The priest smiles for a moment as if he can look through me eyes, right down to my soul and in that moment, I feel connected with him through the words he leaves unspoken.
He stands up, places his hands on my head and starts to whisper a prayer. While he takes his seat again, he says “Now take this candle, place it at the altar and give thanks. Have faith that all is forgiven and you can start with a clean slate.”

I give him a graceful nod, take the candle and make my way to the altar. What should I give thanks for? Suddenly, I hear the sirens outside the church. The intensity of the confession must have blocked them out, since they don’t sound like they’re just getting here.

Now, I remember what led me here …

Â
Â

Â

Â

Â

Â

Â

Â

Â

Â

 

Here are some examples from over the years:

 

 

 

It’s all about creepy stories, horror movies, scary costumes, trick or treat, darkness, the full moon … and … for me above all … pumpkins :d!!

This year 7 of them were hand carved at my place. 2 of them are shining at my sister’s home and the other 5 are guarding our front door.

These were the 7 chosen patrons this year:

The skeleton

The witch

The welcome sign

The gollom

The eye of the beholder

The head of the dragon

The dragon

Applying our company’s logo and design to the overall layout of the site turned out to be not as easy as I thought it would be.
Of course, the most basic part was making a new masterpage with Sharepoint Designer 2007. This I did by making a copy of the default.master and adapt it to my own liking. I created a new css style for it so everything would stay a bit clean. This worked great for the public site parts. Our logo was shining all over the place … except … not “all” over the place …

The Sharepoint administration pages don’t seem to like to blend in very much. Turns out that these pages use a different master page: application.master. Whenever you google it everyone seems to scream about how dangerous it is to alter this page and you really shouldn’t mess with it. So you can imagine I wasn’t really jumping on the idea.
So I tried to find workarounds. The homepage administration pages seemed to use the same core.css file as the user pages, so I copy/pasted the css styles in my custom made css into the core.css at the bottom. So this fixed that problem.
But other administration pages seemed to use a totally different core.css file, one located at “…\Program files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12\template\layouts\1033\styles”. So I did the same for that file.

Et voila … my site looks like it should w/o modifying the application.master page itself.Â
Some things you should hold into account:

• make sure your image paths are correct
• my master page didn’t differ that much from an original one. The parts I didn’t want visible I just put the position on absolute and the left tag on -10000px so it wouldn’t show up on my screen. On my own master page I could just delete these parts, but this is another way not to show them w/o editing the master page. This of course is only possible if the application.master page isn’t that different from the one you want to accomplish.
• make sure you check in, publish and approve the master page you created, otherwise other people won’t be able to see it

Some useful links:

• Customize application.master
• All site content page not using master page
• CSS Reference Chart for SharePoint 2007

Good luck I’d say!Â