Yearly Archives: 2015

Pete Smith:

I’m very lucky to have a fantastic family and a some seriously good friends despite the fact that I have neglected our relationships at times. They are, without exception, highly emotionally intelligent and can empathise with my current situation.

The key thing that I am doing differently right now is talking to those around me. I am trying to maintain a constant dialogue about my progress so that I cannot simply slip off the radar and assume the bad habits I desperately want to avoid. But like I say, I’m not great at asking for help so even though I know how approachable my circle is, that’s no guarantee that I’ll vocalise it when I begin to slip.

With all of this in mind, the following seemed a great solution to me.

Smith has created an app that will help him and his friends and family be aware of his depression and reach out to them in times of trouble. It’s an interesting idea and he is looking for input. If you or someone you know struggles with depression, check out the story and tell Smith whether or not you’d be interested in a full blown app as he describes it.

Christian Science Monitor:

Chinese billionaire Liu Yiqian, who doesn’t exactly struggle to afford a plane ticket, can now likely fly free, in first class, with his whole family, anywhere in the world, for the rest of his life.

All because he bought a painting.

Liu was the winning bidder for Amedeo Modigliani’s “Reclining Nude” at a Christie’s auction earlier this month— offering $170.4 million— and when the sale closes he’ll be putting it on his American Express card.

I saw an Amex Black Card once many years ago. Guy bought a package of cigarettes at a gas station. I wanted to punch him.

Glance is the first conference dedicated to the business of Apple Watch.

With more than seven million units sold in its first six months, the Apple Watch platform has already grown larger than the iPhone did in its first year. Given its rate of software updates and unique hardware extensibility, the Watch offers new dimensions for developers to consider.

I’ll be going to this.

What’s your plan when your Mac’s hard drive dies? Plan ahead and get back to work in minutes with a Carbon Copy Cloner bootable backup. CCC—the app that saves your bacon.

Jim’s Note: I’ve used this app for many years. I trust and love it.

Guinness World Records:

Taking place in Erfoud, Morocco, the blast had a total yield of 68.47 tonnes of TNT equivalent and was the result of detonating 8,418 litres of kerosene with 33 kg of powder explosives – and it lasted for over 7.5 seconds.

I saw and enjoyed this movie and, while watching this scene, I thought, “That seems like a very big, long explosion!” I didn’t realize it was a world record-setting stunt.

MIC:

Nestled in west Brooklyn beside the charmingly putrid Gowanus Canal and the hip Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club is a massive, ramshackle warehouse. Stretching nearly halfway down the block, it announces its presence with a homemade sandwich board and a brightly painted exterior.

Officially, it’s called the Lower East Side Ecology Center Electronic Waste Recycling Warehouse. Casually, it’s known as the Gowanus E-Waste Warehouse, and it’s the place that thousands of pieces of discarded electronics — old and new, junky and shiny, big and small — call home.

Don’t lie – some of you are planning a trip to there right now, aren’t you?

CBS News:

The holidays bring out Americans’ philanthropic impulses. That may be an understatement for Carol Suchman.

Suchman told CBS MoneyWatch that she often buys birthday gifts for children in the foster system, and so always is on the lookout for toy stores. When she recently walked by a toy store in her West Village neighborhood in Manhattan that had closed down, she said she was inspired to take action.

“The toys in there looked so sad, and they were gathering dust,” she said. “It occurred to me we should bring those toys to where they should be going — to all the homeless kids in the city.”

As a kid, my mom had to use these social services on several occasions to make sure we had one or two toys under our Christmas tree. You might be surprised how important these kinds of gifts are to children in need at this time of year. Reading stories like this brings a tear to my eye and almost reaffirms my faith in humanity. Almost.

New plastic money coming from Bank of England, and an illustrated history of American money design.

This is a great post, especially when he brings in the conversation from “Good Will Hunting”.

The New York Times:

For those who own Japanese toilets, there is a cultish devotion. They boast heated seats, a bidet function for a rear cleanse and an air-purifying system that deodorizes during use. The need for toilet paper is virtually eliminated (there is an air dryer) and “you left the lid up” squabbles need never take place (the seat lifts and closes automatically in many models).

When I was in Tokyo and had to use one of these, I was completely embarrassed by my inability to figure out how to use it. I literally had to ask my host how to operate the toilet.

I laughed and nearly spit out my coffee when I read Gruber’s comment about Jimmy Iovine.

Thanks to Pad & Quill for sponsoring The Loop this week. Pad & Quill is offering beautiful wood and leather accessories for iPhone, Apple Watch and more. I have one of their Backpacks and absolutely love it! They are offering Loop readers a 10% discount on any order including the new Minneapolis made Lowry Leather Cuff and Lowry Leather Band for Apple Watch. Code: LOOP15.

Lowry Leather Band Features

• USA made leather strap for Apple Watch
• Each craftsman personally signs your strap’s interior
• Full-grain vegetable-tanned leather from Horween Tannery
• Rugged Stitching that is hand tied off
• Velvet soft suede interior finish
• 3 beautiful color options
• 25 Year Leather Warranty
• 30 Day Money Back Promise