Chris Guillebeau's Blog, page 92
July 30, 2014
On the Cost of Upgrading Your Fleet of Warships
I downloaded another iPad game that was a lot like the one I wrote about in The Tower.
It was probably a mistake, given my tendencies for going all-in, but once in a while I download a game and play it off and on for a couple weeks. Then I get bored and remove it from the device. No big deal.
In this game I had to build up defenses for my base and attack other bases, deploying a fleet of ships and military in a series of invasions. Simple and fun.
My endeavors would earn money, or at least in-...
July 29, 2014
Peace Corps, Gateway to the Travel Bug: On the Road with Michelle and Jedd Chang
This is a traveler case study. ( Read others or nominate yourself .)
I first heard about Jedd & Michelle through a blog submission… but then I got the chance to work with them at WDS this summer. They were two of our most reliable and hard-working ambassadors (volunteers), and I loved hearing their story of serving abroad in Jamaica. Here’s more.
Tell us about yourselves.
We’re Jedd and Michelle. In 2011, we left our “real jobs” to take a sabbatical – a time set aside to experience new things, lea...
July 28, 2014
Helpful Email Tip: Always Draw from the Top
I’m pretty good at keeping up with a lot of projects, but inevitably I fall behind on some emails. The way it works for me is that I get stuck on a final batch—I fly through a couple of hundred messages a day, but then there are at least a dozen that stymie me.
I mentioned this phenomenon on Twitter recently, and @kavla made an interesting comment:
@chrisguillebeau if you never cherry pick that doesn't happen. #alwaysdrawfromthetop
— Kav Latiolais (@kavla) July 28, 2014
In other words: first in,...
Why Artistic Compromise Makes for Better Work
Once in a while (thankfully not often), I look back at some of the posts and articles I wrote in the early days. What in the world was I thinking? Most of them are riddled with errors, typos, and sometimes just bad writing.
For both The $100 Startup and my new book (more news on that coming soon), I worked with a fantastic editor from Random House. There’s no doubt that both manuscripts were much, much better off because of his efforts. I’d love to say I’m the kind of writer who turns in a ma...
July 27, 2014
Limited Time: Marriott Card 70,000 Points Signup Bonus
Link: 70,000 Points for Marriott Card
Marriott isn’t my favorite hotel program (that would be Starwood and Hyatt), but this new offer is worth a look for the free nights you’ll earn right away. They used to provide 50,000 points upon signup, but for a limited time—we don’t know for how long—you can earn 20,000 additional points for a total of 70,000.
70,000 points can put you in one of their nicer hotels or resorts worldwide for up to two nights. Marriott also partners with Ritz Carlton, where...
July 26, 2014
6 Discoveries From Near and Far, Volume III
I. Around the World
Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.
Traveling in Yemen — what it’s like to travel as a Westerner in this isolated country
The Social Good Ipsum — Filler text with compassion (and randomness)
Give Peace a Chance (still) — Why civil resistance remains the best strategy for social and political change in the face of oppression.
Habits (Video) — “I’ve often wondered why do I act unlike my friends, why do I feel one way and...
Duke Ellington: A Life On the Road
Duke Ellington spent forty years traveling, composing, and performing.
Ellington composed as he lived, on the road and on the fly. He wrote his pieces in hotel rooms, Pullman cars, and chartered buses, then rehearsed them in the recording studio the next afternoon or on the bandstand the same night. He had little choice but to do so, for he was a professional wanderer who traveled directly from gig to gig, returning to his New York apartment, he said, only to pick up his mail. It would no more...
July 25, 2014
What Are People REALLY Saying About WDS 2014?
After spending hundreds of hours in preparation and then hosting a week-long adventure for thousands of awesome people, I don’t actually say much about it afterward, at least not on the blog. I’m a writer who doesn’t do a writeup.
Thankfully, our awesome attendees pick up my slack—and wouldn’t you want to hear from them anyway?
Every year we see hundreds of blog posts from attendees. Here’s the first round of unfiltered reviews and opinions on a variety of topics related to WDS. Check them out...
Giveaway: Free Website Hosting for a Year
Every Friday is giveaway day. Comment to win!
For the past few months, I’ve recommended the hosting company InMotion to anyone who asks for help setting up a new website.
If you’ve ever wanted to start a blog or build a website, they’re a reliable and affordable partner—and in fact, they’re even offering AONC readers a special deal of just $5 a month.
This week the deal gets even better for one random winner: it’s FREE! For this giveaway, InMotion will provide a FREE “Power” plan for an entire...
July 24, 2014
The Cure for Writer’s Block: Start With the Last Thing You Learned
Wondering what to write about? Someone once told me, “Start with the last thing you learned—then share that.”
They actually gave me this advice in reference to a talk I was terrified to give. I’d love to tell you I took that lesson to heart, thought of something great, and went on to give a perfectly delivered five-minute talk.
But since I’d rather not lie to you, I’ll just tell you what really happened: nothing. It sounded like helpful advice, but I didn’t do anything with it. I backed out of...
