Et Cetera : The Art of Non-Conformity

Et Cetera

6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XL

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

5 Secrets of a Successful Ted Talk — Hint: Being a famous person has little to do with giving a popular talk
Hacking Weight Loss — What Jeff learned from losing 30 pounds
10 Places to Go Before They’re Gone -- Don’t miss Madagascar! I once stopped off in every domestic airport on the island/li>
Changing Perceptions of Time While Dying (Video) -- A Stanford neurosurgeon who was diagnosed with lung cancer in his mid-30s reflects on the experience
The Most Aspirational Miles Award -- Use your Virgin miles (a lot of them…) to book travel on Richard Branson’s Necker Island
Gifts for Highly Productive People -- My choice would be: more iPhone cables. I leave them everywhere!

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Et Cetera

Giveaway: Stridebox – A Treasure Chest for Runners

Friday is giveaway day. Comment to win!

This week's giveaway comes from Oregon-based company, Stridebox. This runner-lovin' business collects the latest racing goodies and sends them monthly to subscribers (...in a box, hence the name). It's a fun idea and only costs $15 a month.

Even if you're not an avid runner, you could use this box as inspiration to get started, or just use the reflective laces and lights in your hip-hop dance class.

Et Cetera

6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXXIX

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

The Most Advantageous Places to Visit with American Dollars -- An updated report highlighting Mexico, Argentina, and some of Europe
The Economics of Busking -- Notes on best practices and how much money you can expect to make
How to Tell the Difference Between Planes — Do you know that there are only two double-decker aircraft? This infographic will teach you how to spot all the major aircraft types
“Disco Dog”: The smartphone-controlled LED dog vest -- Take your dog for a walk and a dance with this fun Kickstarter project
A Man and His Van -- "Adventure is freedom"
Living in an Internet Cafe in Japan -- Depression and Japan's big unemployment challenge

Et Cetera

Non-Conformity and Adventure in Europe: The “Alive in Berlin” Conference

Last year I spoke at a number of worldwide events, but only one was in Europe. The organizers are bringing it back for another round, and a limited number of tickets are now available.

I like events of this size: not too small, and not too big. If you're in the neighborhood, broadly speaking, or if you're up for an overseas adventure, it’s a great opportunity to connect with like-minded people and learn more personal development.

Et Cetera

6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXXVIII

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

A Master Comedian’s Advice for Becoming Famous — Steve Martin’s unconventional perspective
Birds That Bring Gifts — Maybe your most generous friends are in your backyard
How to Become a Brunch Buffet Ninja — Learn how to win gold in the buffet game
The Himalayas from 24,000 Feet — Live from Kathmandu, here’s the first ultra HD footage of the Himalayas shot from above 20,000 ft
A tour of the most expensive Airbnb rental in San Francisco — The 10-bedroom mansion will cost you $7,010 a night
How to Cry on Command — Actors use this trick to generate real tears over and over

Et Cetera

6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXXVII

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

Crashing the Ivy League -- What one man learned by crashing elite colleges for 4 years
Oddly Priced Routes when Using Miles — Some interesting redemption opportunities for all those miles & points you’ve been earning
Amazing Tea-Pouring Video — Finding talent in unusual places
A Glimpse Into the Lives of Golbi Desert Nomads -- A photo tour of eight Mongolian families living strong on the empty terrain
Cargo Delivery Drivers Get Free Waffles from Waffle House -- File under: I wish I was a cargo delivery driver
Surviving a Tsunami in Indonesia — "It was like the hand of death had come out and tickled us"

Et Cetera

Earn Miles by Paying Your Taxes with a Credit Card

Link: Discover Card 3% Bonus

Speaking of paying taxes, for years people have asked me about earning Frequent Flyer miles or points by paying your taxes with a credit card. Wouldn’t it be great if you could receive a travel bonus for all that money you have to pay?

Generally speaking, this isn’t usually a great idea, because the companies that process tax payments are smart. They charge a fee, typically 1.87%, in exchange for passing along your money. At 1.87%, you’re paying $467 for every $25,000 in tax payments.

Fortunately, there's a new opportunity that greatly improves this calculation.

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Et Cetera

Giveaway: The World Kitchen Box

Friday is giveaway day. Comment to win! This week's giveaway is a super cool World Kitchen Box from GlobeIn. GlobeIn is an online marketplace that curates fair-trade, handcrafted goods from artisans around the world into a monthly themed "globe in a box."

What you need to know:

This month's box comes with a mini ceramic made in Tunisia and a hand-woven towel from Guatemala
Includes Madagascar pure ground vanilla and Inka salt from Peru
And fresh Nicaraguan coffee with Indonesian coconut sugar
This giveaway is available to readers worldwide
Our cats and biased judges will pick someone on Sunday night at 6pm PST

Enter this week’s giveaway by posting a comment. Check back on Sunday night and we’ll announce the winner!

Et Cetera

6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXXVI

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

I’ll Just Put This Here, Where No One Will Read It -- On allowing people to make mistakes (or even to fail)
Buy a Monopoly Set and Get Real Money -- Everyone's childhood dream coming true
If It Doesn’t Serve a Purpose, Get Rid of It -- Advice for industrial design and life
28 (Better) Things No One Tells You About Publishing -- My favorites are #15 and #17. I disagree with #13
Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s Flight Suit Found in Toronto Thrift Store -- How it got there remains a mystery
How Too Many Products Can Hurt Your Business -- A counterintuitive lesson from the precocious Nathan Barry

Et Cetera

6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXXV

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

Don’t Waste Those 30-Minute Gaps Between Meetings — How to take advantage of little pockets of time
Quintessence -- An essential part of maturing is learning to avoid discontent
Etihad Offering Free Status Matches -- May be limited in quantity; don’t wait! (hat tip: Gary)
Don’t Throw a Life Raft Into the Kiddie Pool -- On running marathons and raising children
Why Travel Makes You Smarter -- “Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you’ve traveled.” - Mohamed
Discouragement Is a Natural Part of Achieving Goals -- A lesson in “living with open hands”

Et Cetera

Urban Yoga Project Takes Flight in New York, Madrid, and Paris

I like yoga, which means I tell people I practice all the time, but in reality only go to class a couple times a month. When I saw these photos of Slovenian architect Anja Humljan, I was amazed.

Anja has taken her passion for yoga and movement into urban environments—a global experiment in how we connect with cities. Take a look for yourself.

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Et Cetera

Giveaway: Qatar Airways First Class Amenity Kit

Every Friday is giveaway day. Comment to win!

This kit comes with Armani moisturizer, lip balm, sleep mask (good for napping on the road AND at home), fancy floss, and cozy black socks
Okay, technically this is a men's kit—but ladies, you can win too! It's a super snazzy kit for anyone
The Giorgio Armani travel case is pretty nice too
This giveaway is available to readers worldwide. Anyone can win!
Our cats and biased judges will pick someone on Sunday night at 6pm PST

Enter this week’s giveaway by posting a comment. Check back Sunday night when we announce the winner!

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Et Cetera

The New World of Passport Tattoo Art: Possibly Illegal, Definitely Awesome

I'm proud of my stamps and visas, and I often get a double-take from immigration officers around the world when presenting my passport—but this guy has gone much further.

French illustrator Léonard Combier sent pictures of his work to Doodlers Anonymous, where he offered anyone to send him their passport to "tattoo."

Is this legal? Well, apparently it's an open question, since technically the work involves "defacing" a government document, and some countries have more of a sense of humor than others. Fortunately, most people report that most immigration agents have enjoyed it thus far.

Here are a few examples:

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Et Cetera

A Film About Shame and Ego Wins Best Picture at the Oscars

Two days ago I went to see Birdman. I’d missed it when it came out, then forgot all about it, then realized it was still showing. Last night it won best picture and many other awards at the Oscars—coincidence, I’m sure. :)

I really liked many aspects of the film, from the amazing drum-only soundtrack to the fact that it was filmed in a single continuous shot. (I don’t entirely know what that means, but it sounds cool.)

I also thought it was interesting that much of the coverage of the film at the Oscars said it was primarily a story about ego. I thought it was somewhat about ego, especially in the context of mortality as an actor who formerly played a superhero ages and faces the loss of relevancy and career.

But I also thought it was about shame, a concept that isn’t often explored from a masculine perspective. It reminded me of reading Karl Ove Knausgaard, something else I'll write about shortly.

Et Cetera

6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXXIV

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

The Journal of Brief Ideas -- A new outlet for short, scholarly ideas of 200 words or less
The Most Advantageous Places to Visit with American Dollars -- An updated report highlighting Mexico, Argentina, and some of Europe
Nude Portraits Where the Photographer Himself Is Unclothed -- A change of perspective on the usual photography project
The FBI’s Top Hostage Negotiator Tells You How To Save Money on Your Phone Bill -- A lesson in asking
Adventure of a Lifetime -- A detailed guide to visiting Iceland
JetBlue's CEO Battles to Appease Passengers and Wall Street — He stays up until 3am responding to angry emails

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