Being a parent brings many different challenges. Daily. Yet, it also results in so many rewards that are hard to describe to those without children. Whatever issues arise, by the end of the day there’s no question that being a parent is worth whatever trouble may come. But I still struggle to remember that fact in the moment. When my children frustrate me, my irritation always seems justifiable. They have disobeyed, or done something contrary to the instructions they’ve been given many times be…
Like many other geeks, I'm constantly evaluating my tool set. With Google Reader’s imminent shutdown, I've been considering the alternatives for RSS, as well as the options for getting news in other ways. And in the category of bookmarking and read-it-later services, I've moved back and forth between different services over the years. The news of Instapaper’s sale [http://www.marco.org/2013/04/25/instapaper-next-generation] got me considering the options once again. I've tried the big ones. I…
For anyone who has used PayPal to collect payments online, I have felt your pain. When it comes to trusting services to help you run your business, most web focused entrepreneurs have little desire to let PayPal keep their finances in order. PayPal does have its advantages. It's accessible in most countries, does not require a credit card, and is straightforward to use for the consumer. However, as the one making a sale, its detractions far outweigh the benefits. The fees are significant enough…
With a slightly furrowed brow, his deep brown eyes flicked back and forth, following the passing scenery as we sped down the highway. Like any four year old boy, his hat was turned backwards and slightly to the side. As he peered out the window, I couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind. Was he reflecting on the events of the day, remembering the the perfect blue sky filled with hot sunshine, the time spent in the water, or the delicious and extravagant summer food? I wonder if…
There seems to be a growing dissatisfaction in some circles of the design world. Many people, especially those getting a little older, seem to want the community to move the focus from aesthetically pleasing baubles to solving real problems. I couldn't agree more. If we could have a few more start ups focused on clean water, healthcare, or food shortages and a few less that are focused on helping us read everything or recommending movies to our friends, the rest of the world might join us in sa…
Finding words can be hard. Finding the just perfect words even harder. But given enough space and time, experience has taught me that I can find them. But what about when the space is extremely limited? That's the situation I currently find myself in. I'm working on the marketing site for a new personal project. Marketing sites are tricky. First, I personally have to feel really good about the product or service … I have no desire to shill needless items on people in order to earn an income. B…
The tell tale buzzing started again, for the third time that day. It’s not like a smoke detector or air raid siren, but it’s enough to get your attention from anywhere in the house. And it sent shivers down my spine the first time I realized what it was. That buzzing is caused by the high water alarm on my septic system. 27 year old Chris Bowler would be visibly upset at this sound. It would cause him to stress a bit, to be a little short with kids. He’d think thoughts like, “Why did I buy…
A lot of folks I admire have posted content on Medium in recent months. Medium [https://medium.com/] is a nice looking tool, another creation of the wonder pairing of Ev Williams and Biz Stone. The focus of this service is on sharing ideas, a publishing tool that houses your content and enables better interaction. Mr Williams describes [https://medium.com/about/9e53ca408c48] it this way: > More concretely, Medium is a system for reading and writing. Sounds nice. It also sounds a lot like the I…