Inspiration #1: Ambition

One of the things I'd like to try over the next while is posting things that inspire me. At times it's easy to be lost in the shuffle of life, and it's important to be grounded with ideas and thoughts that really inspire us and help us keep going.

So today is my first post on this topic, and it's simply a link to Ben Casnocha's blog post on Ambition. He provides a book review on the topic, and I think it's a great read... One of the things he discusses is whether ambition is good or bad. Oftentimes, we want to succeed in life (have a great job, make lots of money, etc.), but are also are encouraged to have healthy social lives, families, etc. Yes, the two can go hand-in-hand, but sometimes one must make a choice between a healthy career and a healthy life. In these cases (among others), ambition can be seen as a bad thing.

It's a refreshing post. If you've read Joseph Epstein's book on this, let me know!

Props to Spotify

I just wanted to share the news... I now have a new music player: Spotify!

I've used numerous music services in the past, and still am a big fan of thesixtyone (which is wonderful for finding new music)... However, one of the biggest problems has been listening to music from major labels without actually paying for it. Sure, you can pirate songs, or pay $1/song on iTunes, but there must be a better way!

The great thing about Spotify is that it streams all the songs to you, and acts as a personal radio station. It's ad-supported, though you can pay to have the ads removed. It's very rare that I want to hear a song that they don't have.

... Though Matt and Kim are absent, and things just aren't the same without Mr. Westmore...

More Snow

Snow in Oxford