Coming Soon: Government Texts You Can't Block

From USA Today:

Wireless carriers and the federal government are launching a system to automatically warn people of dangerous weather and other emergencies via a special type of text messaging to cellphones. The Wireless Emergency Alerts service, which begins this month, is free, and consumers won't have to sign up … Alerts will be issued for such life-threatening events as tornadoes, flash floods, hurricanes, typhoons, tsunamis, dust storms, extreme winds, blizzards, and ice storms … WEA can also issue AMBER Alerts for missing children and Presidential Alerts for national emergencies.

This is a great example of a well-intentioned government program being executed by people who have absolutely no clue of what to do or how to do it in the era of personal information technology.

1) My mobile device is my personal space. My iPhone is mine. I paid for it. It's an intensely personal space, programming and organized in ways I like, that suit me. I don't share my mobile number with many people precisely because I don't want text messages and calls from people I don't know. Having a government agency push alerts to it without my permission feels like a violation of my privacy -- and it is.

2) It's an opt-in world. If I want a newsletter, I sign up. If I want to know every time your shop has a sale, let me opt-in. Seth Godin's built an empire teaching people about the power of opt-in marketing.

But this system flies in the face of all that wisdom, signing me up (for free!) without my permission. It's then up to me to find a way to opt-out of the alerts I don't want. (Bad news: the truth is, with the exception of the AMBER Alerts, I can't actually opt out at all.)

The right way to do this: create the service, promote it, and let those who are passionate about weather events or AMBER alerts sign up.

3) Respect my choices. I already have apps that keep me well-informed of weather issues, thanks. I like how they operate. I like them because I can control what they alert me about, and whether or not they will do that in the middle of the night. This Big Brother-ish weather alert system forces me to use a solution that doesn't just duplicate functionality I already possess … it forces me to use a solution that isn't as good as the ones I already use. 

3) Crying wolf will blunt weather awareness, not encourage it. My mom has a weather radio that sets off an ear-splitting alarm when any weather alert is issued: for flash-flood warnings, for heavy rain warnings, for thunderstorm warnings, for tornado warnings. Guess what? After a few weeks, that sucker got unplugged -- because everyone got tired of it going off six times a night to tell us about a flash-flood warning six counties away.

So … now what? I'll get an alert when there's a flash-flood warning in Cobb County at 2 a.m.? Even though I live in another county … and on the 8th floor? It will take about one or two late-night alerts about heavy rain warnings for people to start turning off their devices in order to get some sleep. What good will this system be then?

Making vital information available to people is a good thing. But don't force it on us, or pump it into our most personal spaces without permission. Just offer it. The passionate will subscribe. 

Radial: A Great Way to Start (and End) Your Day

Radial Cafe -- hidden away over in Candler Park, near the Edgewood MARTA station -- serves fresh, environmentally (and, often, vegetarian- and vegan-) friendly dishes for breakfast and lunch (seven days a week) and dinner (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday). The entire joint has an urban farmhouse vibe, with everything from the bar to the walls tastefully decorated with reclaimed materials. 

Though there are some persistent signature dishes on the menu (including -- hands down -- Atlanta's best pancakes), each week's specials reflect what's fresh and locally available. These specials are a constant source of delight for me. Weeks after the fact, I'm still going on and on about the Peanut Butter Captain Crunch French Toast I gobbled down more than two months back. Was it last year they had Praline Crunch Pecan Pancakes? Probably -- and I'm still raving about that, too. 

Long story short: there's something on Radial's menu for everyone. When I'm low-carbing it, I get a platter piled high with applewood smoked bacon. When I'm avoiding animal protein, I'm all about the vegan roasted herb potatoes, sweet potato hash, or vegan buckwheat pancakes. When I'm eating light, there's a Radial multi-grain bagel. When I'm feeling decadent, it's French toast time (thick challah bread, baked locally, battered with vanilla and served with organic maple syrup). 

Dinner is just as much an adventure, with my personal favorites being the Brasstown Beef Burger (when you bite into it, angels sing) and the makes-me-run-around-in-circles-and-scream-with-pleasure BBQ Tofu Satay, which is absolutely the best thing anyone has ever done with tofu since it was invented in northern China in 164 BC. And when they ask for your dinner drink order, whatever you would usually drink, just say, "Pom Ginger." (Trust me on this. You can thank me later.)

Clyde and I wind up at Radial at least once a week, and think of Radial as our go-to breakfast joint. Weekend visitors always get taken there -- no exceptions. This is, in part, because of the restaurant's philosophy and, in part, because of the consistently delicious food … but it is mostly because of the consistent hospitality of Frank Bragg (the owner) and his amazing staff. 

One wonders if Frank Bragg ever goes home. We see him there in the mornings -- like today, serving tiny pancakes to an army of delighted soccer-playing little girls. We see him there at lunch, chatting up the regulars. We see him there at night, striking up conversations and making sure things are done right. We see him online: on Twitter, on Facebook. We see him supporting community events and groups, like the Atlanta Gay Men's Chorus. I don't know of another owner who is so involved, so present, and so approachable.

When most owners and managers ask, "Everything good?", they're just spouting the restaurant version of "How's it going?" (That is, they don't really expect an answer.) Frank cares. When we've ordered new items, he's actually taken notes on our feedback. He tweaks recipes. He *listens.* 

His staff -- particularly the folks who have been there forever -- are equally remarkable. I wish I knew more names. For now, suffice it to say that the people who work here really seem to care about the place, and do a great job of taking care of customers. They are also -- how to say this? -- all very easy on the eyes.

Now, as you'll see on Yelp, Radial isn't perfect. Service levels can vary, and, in our experience, the quality of service depends mostly on your server's length of tenure (the old-timers are the best, while the new folks can be embarrassingly green). And, even after eating there almost every week since 2010, I have never successfully ordered the cinnamon roll. (Once, not yet ready. The next time, after forty-five minutes, they said the batter didn't work out. The third -- and last -- time I tried, it arrived after we finished breakfast … and was too dry and floury to eat.) 

But these little gaffes pale in comparison to the long-term vibe, attitude, friendliness, and quality of the joint. Your friends aren't always at their best … but you still love them, don't you?

So: if you haven't been there yet, go try Radial. Like, now. This weekend, they're all about the strawberries: as in strawberry pancakes and strawberry cream cheese cake. So: follow them on the Twitters, like them on the Facebooks, get yourself to Candler Park, and say hi to Frank and crew for me.

Radial Cafe: Fast Facts

Category: Fresh Food Movement, Breakfasts

Rating:

- ReMARKable - Awarded "Best Breakfast in Atlanta" by MadeByMark.com

- Score: 89/100

Vibe: Casual, comfortable, friendly urban farmhouse

Crowd: Broad appeal

Service: Generally very good, but variable based on tenure of server

Atmosphere: Lively

Decibel Level: 85 (Average Automobile/Loud Singing)

Can't Go Wrong Orders:

- Breakfast: Pancakes, Special French Toast, Applewood Bacon, Coffee

- Dinner: BBQ Tofu Satay, Brasstown Beef Burger

 About this Review: Reviews on MadeByMark.com are unbiased and honest. My opinions aren't for sale. I haven't received compensation of any kind for this material, unless you count the notes of thanks I get from MadeByMark.com readers who depend on me for great leads on local, affordable, "eat there anytime" joints in our neck of the woods.

Photo Credit: I stole this photo of Radial Cafe from their Facebook page. I hope they won't mind. 

Gmail Tip: Use Filters to Get SMS or Text Alerts When You Receive Important Email

IN A NUTSHELL

To forward only certain email messages to their text messaging service, Gmail users should use filters to set conditions and define what Gmail should do when those conditions are met. But you won't be able to define those filters unless you enter the forwarding address (and verify it) first. The filtering option for automatically forwarding Gmail to an email address won't work until you add a forwarding address.

THE WHOLE STORY

I get lots of email. Most of it can wait.

But when I get email from certain people, I want to know. In fact, when email arrives from Clyde, or certain friends and family members, I want an alert to prompt me to read the message right away. 

Now, I *do not* want a text message *every* time email *every* email arrives. I just want a text message when email arrives from certain people. 

Setting this up should be easy, right? I mean, I carry the world's most sophisticated smartphone. But on the iPhone, email alerts are an all or nothing proposition. The iPhone can vibrate or chime when *every* message arrives … or it can lie there silently. There's no way to tell the iPhone, "Notify me only when I get an email from Clyde."

So I had another idea: using filters, I would write a Gmail rule that says, "If an incoming message matches "From: Clyde," then forward that email to the email address associated with my text messaging plan.'" That sounded even easier!

So, after consulting this chart of email addresses associated with various mobile phone numbers (for the record, these special email addresses are called 'SMS gateways'), I went to my Gmail account's Settings:

But when I opened Settings, chose the Filters tab, and clicked "Create a New Filter," I could do the first step (tell Gmail "If the message is from Clyde…") but could not do the second step (tell Gmail to forward that email to my SMS gateway), because the option to click 'Forward' was greyed out:

My only option seemed to be to click the "Add forwarding address" link. That took me to the Forward and POP/IMAP tab, where I found a button labeled "Add a forwarding address." 

What caught my eye, though, was the Tip: "You can also forward only some of your mail by creating a filter." To me, it looked like that Tip (to forward only some of your email) was being as an alternative to the "Add a forwarding address" button (which I assumed would, in fact, forward all my mail to my phone).

So: I clicked the "creating a filter!" link … which took me back, of course, to the filter creation option with the greyed-out "Forward it" option. 

At this point, I just about gave up. But then Clyde reminded me I'd help him set up this very thing once before, so he could get text messages whenever certain suppliers send him emails. We sat down together, went through the steps … and found ourselves in the same jam. Finally, Clyde suggested, "Maybe you have to add a forwarding address *before* the forwarding option will be available."

So I clicked "Add a forwarding address," and got this:

Hey! Maybe he was right! So I entered the email address associated with my text messaging account and clicked "Next." The next screen, though, didn't seem promising at all. In fact, it looked as though I was about to start forwarding *all* my mail to my phone!

Good grief. Well, just to see what would happen, I clicked "Proceed." Google promptly sent me a text message that said, "Mark McElroy has just requested to automatically forward mail to this text messaging service," along with instructions for giving myself permission to do just that. Again, I was a bit concerned, because it still seemed like I was about to start forwarding everything to my SMS plan -- especially when I saw this:

As you can see, it still looks like I have two options: to disable forwarding, or forward everything to my SMS plan. But now -- even with forwarding disabled -- when I clicked "creating a filter!" the little checkbox that was greyed out before was clickable … and I could choose the email address associated with my SMS gateway. 

(Note: in this example, I'm using a filter to get a text message whenever email from a certain person arrives … but you could also set up alerts for email that has attachments, that has certain words in the subject line, that has certain words in the body, or even that *fails* to have certain words in the body! It's very flexible.)

So: the good news, I think, is this: if you're finding this difficult to do, it's not you … it's the user interface that requires you to:

1) Add a forwarding address

2) Confirm the forwarding address, but

3) Keep forwarding disabled, then

4) Create a filter that will do your forwarding for you.

Not exactly intuitive, is it?

(A tip of the hat to Clyde, who figured it all out!)

iPad Owners: Your Dream Keyboard is Here

I'm passionate about the iPad as a powerful, portable creative tool. Since it's arrival, both my iMac and my MacBook Air have languished in various corners of our house, neglected and all but forgotten.

As someone who writes for a living, I've had only two frustrations with the iPad as a laptop/desktop replacement. One: the fact that the best software for writers, Scrivener, isn't available for iOS devices. And two: while I've gotten better with the on-screen keyboard, it simply cannot match the speed and satisfying feel of a physical keyboard -- at least, not for this salty old sea dog of a writer.

And now, just this week, come two bits of news that give me hope. First, the folks over at Literature and Latte confirmed that Scrivener for the iPad is alive and well (hooray!), though it likely won't be commercially available until the end of the year (awwwww). While it will be several months, apparently, before my primary complaint is addressed, I'm happy to announce that my other concern -- the availability of a practical, portable, high-performance keyboard for the iPad -- has been beautifully addressed by the good folks at Logitech with the release of the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for the iPad.

Right up front: I'm picky about keyboards. When I first started considering the iPad as a primary writing device, I bought a bulky, clunky cover that allowed me to bundle the iPad with a full-size Apple Bluetooth external keyboard. That keyboard was a dream to use, but adding that much extra bulk and weight to my slender, elegant iPad never struck me as the best possible strategy.

Over the last several months, I've been very happy with my second keyboard/case/cover: the ZAGG ZAGGmate Pro. Available in plastic and leather (I have one of both), the ZAGG wraps comfortably around the iPad and adds a fast, full-featured Bluetooth keyboard. Many keyboard/covers skimp on the keyboard, dropping critical keys (like the left-hand shift key, for example) to shrink the keyboard down to iPad size. Not the ZAGGmate; in fact, it even adds a row of keys that make entering and editing text on the iPad easier.

I love my ZAGGmate, but the fact is, that cover also adds a bit too much bulk for my tastes. Instead of feeling like I'm carrying around a thin, futuristic piece of hardware, my iPad in my ZAGGmate makes me feel like I'm carrying around a pretty chunky leather-bound book.

So you can imagine how my heart leapt when I got wind of the Logitech UltraThin Keyboard Cover. Unlike wrap-around covers, the Ultrathin is a true smart cover, attaching to the iPad exactly the way Apple's magical magnetic smart covers do. When closed, the cover makes the iPad look like an ultra-thin, ultra-sleek little laptop wrapped in brushed aluminum. The color and design of the cover match the look and feel of the back of the actual iPad exactly; you can tell they're made for each other.

Opening the cover turns on the iPad, of course, and exposes that lovely little keyboard. In addition to the keys, the keyboard design incorporates a magnetic channel across the upper edge. Rotate the iPad into landscape mode, drop it into that channel, and there's a satisfying "snap" as the magnets kick in. Your iPad feels stable and secure.

I won't lie -- the keyboard is a bit tight for those of us with big hands ... just a wee bit tighter, say, than the ZAGGmate keyboard it's replacing. But even so, I'm instantly comfortable on it, and wrote this review in a flash without being concerned with the mechanics of typing on the reduced keyboard at all. The keys provide just the right amount of tactile feedback, and they do have a bit of clickety-clack to them -- but it's not distracting, and I actually kind of like it.

Like the ZAGGmate, this keyboard does need charging. The ZAGGmate's battery life has consistently amazed me, with one charge often lasting weeks. I've not yet had the chance to test the Ultrathin's claims ... but if they're true, you'll see *six months* of performance on a single charge (assuming one to two full hours a day of regular use). Stunning!

So -- finally! -- here's a keyboard for my iPad that adds minimal bulk, preserves the iPad's "wow factor," supports my high-speed typing with minimal friction, and lasts half a year on a single charge. If you're someone who depends heavily on a keyboard, one of the very last barriers to making the iPad your primary creative device just fell away. Look no further. Buy the thing today.

Note: Amazon.com doesn't yet show these in stock, so we took a tip from product reviewers on Amazon.com and snagged ours at a local Best Buy. Many stores don't yet have these displayed (yesterday, the Ultrathin wasn't even listed on Best Buy's website), but do have them in the back -- so ask. Mine was hanging on a peg, all but lost among fatter, bulkier covers. It was their only one ... so if you see one, snap it up.

International Terminal - Atlanta

Wednesday, Clyde left our house in the morning, went to Prague, took a flight to Hawaii, came back to Atlanta, went through customs and passport control, and ended up back home just after lunch.

Super-sonic jet? Teleportation? Nope. Instead, Clyde was one of several hundred people participating in a passenger experience exercise out at the new International terminal at Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson Airport.

The world's biggest airport just got bigger -- and, as a result, getting there just got more complicated. To get to the airport, you used to take I-85. Now, you have a decision to make. Domestic? I-85. International? You'll need to take I-75 instead. Yep -- our airport's so big, it takes two Interstates to get there.

If you prefer to avoid the Interstate all together, you can still take MARTA rail to the airport … but since the line dead-ends at the domestic terminal, international passengers will now have to board a shuttle bus to Terminal F. (This is particularly odd, given that the "Plane Train" -- the underground railway that connects all terminals together -- has been expanded to link the domestic and international terminals together.)

Clyde's instructions, though, told him to drive in. Apart from a little weirdness due to the complete lack of signage (something expected to change before the terminal officially opens on May 16), he arrived at his destination without a hitch. He parked in the new 1,100-car parking lot -- a luxury that will cost actual passengers thirty-six bucks per day.

The convenience, though, may be worth the price, given that the lot's design makes getting into the terminal about as fast and easy as it used to be in pre-9-11 days. "If you're being dropped off by car or taxi," Clyde noted, "you'll be able to walk right in. It'll be incredibly convenient. But if you're taking MARTA or parking in the cheap spots, be prepared for some hassle."

Once inside, Clyde found that the new terminal -- with its towering ceilings, graceful curves, and gigantic windows -- reminded him of the international terminal in Korea's Incheon Airport. No dark, long tunnels here; instead, everything feels bright and open … more like a stadium or high-tech mall than an airport. Clyde was surprised, though, at how small the new terminal really was. There are, after all, only twelve gates here (though these can be converted to sixteen gates if incoming aircraft are narrow-body jets).

In addition to instructions to catch a "flight" to Prague, Clyde's instructions had him looking for two specific landmarks: the family bathroom (which I still think is a pretty weird concept) and, of all things, the designated smoking area. He located both pretty quickly, and was happy with how the smoking area has been integrated into the terminal's design. "You know how, in the older parts of the airport, you have to walk by the stinky, smelly smoking rooms? In the new terminal, the smoking room is at the far end of a long hallway that goes to the smoking room … and nowhere else." 

Clyde's instructions had him taking Delta flights. "And if you're looking for Delta, you'll have an easy time of it, because almost all the flights out are Delta flights." Fellow passengers on alternative airlines -- like the people Clyde met who were taking virtual flights on AirTran -- said they had a bit of trouble finding their gates.

Food service hasn't opened yet, though Clyde did spy signage for The Varsity and El Taco. More enticing, though, was the huge new Delta Sky Club -- but it was also dark, empty, and locked up. At lunch, smiling Delta employees served the crowd catering boxes from Jason's Deli, along with unlimited coffee and biscotti.

The strangest thing about the new terminal? "Being there on a day when no one was in a hurry, and everyone was being very quiet -- almost like they were in a church." 

All in all, the new terminal struck Clyde as $1.4 billion dollars well-spent. Later this month, we'll see for ourselves how well it performs in reality, when we board our flight to Romania for our 20th anniversary. Until then, you can satisfy your curiosity about the new terminal by signing up for the Open House (this Saturday, May 5th) or taking this virtual video tour. 

Review: Takorea

Our friends' new condo near the corner of 5th and Peachtree comes with an intriguing amenity: popular eatery Takorea is smack dab in the middle of their backyard. After checking out their swanky new digs, we headed downstairs, crossed an asphalt parking lot, wound our way through a series of aging wooden gates, and ended up on Juniper Street, walking in Takorea's front door. (Click this link to see their annoying website laden with Flash animations, or visit www.mytakorea.com on your iPhone or iPad to see a less frantic presentation.) 

Takorea positions itself as a Korean taqueria where "East meets Mex," serving up the fusion of Korean and Mexican street food popularized by Chef Thomas Lee on the Food Network. They're in the old Avra Greek Tavern location on Juniper -- but the hot decor and lively vibe inside is unlike anything you ever encountered at Avra. 

Since Clyde and I are trying limit animal protein these days, we didn't get to sample the trademark bibim-bop (a Korean treat featuring rice, meat, fried egg, mushrooms, spinach, beans, and zucchini) or the delectable BBQ pork sliders with cucumber kimchi. Instead, Clyde ordered the nine vegetable curry falafel: four discs of falafel drizzled with spicy curried veggies. I'm not a huge fan of curry, but thought the dish was savory -- though the sauce overwhelmed all other flavors in the dish.

I had two of the crispy tofu tacos, and was pleased with their taste and texture, though one of our friends who ordered the same thought the crispy tofu was a little soft for her tastes. I also ordered the tempura sweet potatoes with sweet chili aioli, and was a bit surprised to be served regular old Irish potatoes with sweet chili aioli. They were crispy outside, firm inside, and tasty -- but if the kitchen's out of sweet potatoes, they really should tell folks about the substitution.

Long story short: yep, I'd go back -- but I think I'd rather eat here when I'm being more of a carnivore. I've put the sliders, the calamari, the pork burritos, gogi nachos, and bibim-bop on my list for future visits -- and if I'm there again on a meatless day, I'd happily order the tofu tacos and a house salad again.

Best Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headset

When I got my LG Tone HBS-700 wireless Bluetooth stereo headset last Christmas, I was a little wary.

Oh, I'd done my research. I'd read all the stellar reviews on Amazon.com, and I'd compared the $52.00 HBS-700 to dozens of Bluetooth earpieces, headsets, and headphones out there. And, as far as I could tell, this little LG headset was perfect for me. Here's why:

- I travel light. As much as I might enjoy the thudding bass of, say, the Bose AE2i headphones, they add a lot of bulk and weight to my messenger bag. (They also cost about $110 more.) My HBS 700, though, weighs so little I frequently forget I have it on. It adds zero detectable weight to my messenger bag. 

- I don't need noise cancellation. I fly often, so, at first, the noise cancellation of say, the Bose QuietComfort headphones appealed to me. But as headphones go, the $300 QuietComforts are whoppers … and while the HBS 700 has no noise cancellation built-in, with properly fitted earbuds, it insulates me against about 90% of the city noise I encounter during walks to work. 

- I like hands-free phone calls. I don't care for most Bluetooth earpieces, and hate getting calls from people who use them. Even the best ones distort voices and fail to distinguish well between the caller's voice and background noise. The HBS 700, though, works like a charm. The people I talk to say my voice is loud and clear, and I love the way a stereo headset makes the caller's voice come from inside my head -- like I'm chatting using psychic powers. (As an iPhone owner, I can also use the headset to interact with Siri -- but more on that later.)

Well, I've owned my HBS 700 for five months now. It's been with me on international flights to Portugal, New Zealand, and Australia. The headset accompanies me every morning on my walk to work and every afternoon on the way back home. When not perched on my collar, it's been tossed carelessly in my messenger bag. Despite heavy use, I'm pleased say the headset holds up well. (Even the little plastic cover that snaps over the charging port -- which I figured would be the first bit to break off -- remains intact.)

The durability is great … but the battery life is phenomenal. I'm still amazed at how long the headset retains a charge. One hour of charging delivers hours and hours of play. When following my usual routine (fifteen minutes in the morning, an hour or so during the day, and another fifteen minutes at night), I can actually go days without plugging them in for more juice. 

All controls (power, volume, and phone activation on the left, and track control and pausing on the right) have a shape and size that make them easy to identify and operate by touch alone. If a call comes in while I'm listening to Spotify, the music crossfades to my ringtone, and headset gently vibrates. When I want to make a call, I can smack the phone activation control and simply say, "Call Clyde at home" or "Call Mom." The same switch lets me interact with Siri, too -- so I can send text messages, look things up, make appointments, or set reminders without ever pulling my phone from my pocket.

The headset's unique form factor -- earbuds connected to a pair of odd, black lobster claws which are, in turn, connected to each other by a wiggly-jiggly arc of stiff, rubberized plastic -- draws a lot of attention. People often ask me what I'm wearing (especially since the headset is so light, I forget to take it off before running to meetings). But since "sharing what works" is a big part of my mission in life, I never mind showing the HBS 700 off. 

Over the past two weeks, I've flirted briefly with the "beats by Dr. Dre" headphones (I don't like over- or on-the-ear headsets, though) and even the Bose AE2i again. That's mostly because I'm aware that the bass response of this headset is limited at best. In the end, though, I can't justify the added cost, bulk, wires, or weight of either of those alternatives. I'd rather have a wireless, in-ear headset with simple controls and amazing battery life than a set of wired cans that will give me "headphone hair" for the reset of the day.

So: if you're looking for a lightweight, powerful headset that pairs well with the iPhone and delivers hours and hours of play on a single charge, look no further. I think you'll love your HBS 700 just as much as I do. 

Your Food Comes from Ten Companies

All those brands on the grocery store shelves! So much diversity! So much variety!

So: how many corporations are producing the bounty displayed in your GiantBigBoxGigaWalMarTarget store?

Ten.

Go Right

ReMARKable: Five Posts You Should See

Every week, I skim hundreds of blog posts and news stories, and pass along five reMARKable links worthy of your attention. 

Bulgaria: The Best Value Destination on the Planet? Blogger Wandering Earl delights in just how much delight $35.00 a day can purchase in Veliko Tarnovo, a small Bulgarian town. Don't miss the photo he took of a local slab of cream cake. 

Why You'll Likely Need Less in Retirement. Over on Get Rich Slowly, Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool explains why you retirees can probably get by on less than the 70-80% of current salary most personal finance gurus advocate. 

Don't Expect Applause. Seth Godin: "To play a beautiful song for two people or a thousand is the same song, and the amount of thanks you receive isn't part of that song."

Worth Memorizing. Dave Pollard's post is a good introduction to "memory palaces" and the techniques professionals use to memorize and recall on demand a bewildering range of facts. 

Facts are Dead. Rex W. Hupppke writes an obituary for Facts, which passed away "after a long battle for relevancy with the 24-hour news cycle, blogs and the Internet." (Via kottke.)