Hack the Day

Rereading a text I wrote last year reminded me something I wanted to articulate for quite a while. The power of meditation; but actually meditation is a word with too many and messy meanings. What I’m talking about is that powerful “take a break” moment that precedes most great breakthroughs.

In my freshman year of college(Computer Science) I was just discovering the Internet and the vast information one could get from it. Those were the days of MsDOS, Windows 95 and Windows 98, and my geek hobby back then was to subscribe to e-zines of the underground computer virus geeks. I never learned to build a computer virus(it’s bad, evil and it turns you into a criminal) but, being young and restless, I enjoyed reading how one could conceive such software that resembled most to real life-forms - the smallest and code efficient possible, which could replicate, mutate and propagate around. Nothing much stuck with me from that wild age except for a broader understanding of computers, operating systems and assembly language and, completely unrelated, the tale of one of those virus developers.

The guy was stuck at some point trying to understand how to work around the limitations(security) of Windows 98; he had tried all ideas that came to mind, and was starting to get desperate and frustrated. Yet, at one moment, he decided to just lay back. Closed the monitor, closed his eyes. Tried to think of nothing. Quarter of hour later he was coding furiously and excited. His (memory quote) computer coding Zen had struck again.

Without naming it, I’ve been using this method since highschool; now, in my computer programmer existence, I use it more than ever. Whenever I’m facing a bug I can’t understand, whenever something eludes me no matter how hard I try or how much documentation I read, I will stop.

I breathe, I take a walk around the office, get some water from the watercooler. Chat with friends. When coming back to my computer, 10 minutes later, I close my eyes and try to think of nothing. Call it Zen meditation if you prefer; call it  yourKitKat moment.

I prefer to call it Seiza - the seated 1 minute meditation before martial arts training. Letting my mind free of all thoughts is just what we perceive on the outside; on the inside, our subconscious keeps working, freed from the outside stimuli and conscious noise.

More often than once, stepping back is all it takes to solve even the biggest problem.

[photo courtesy of Flickr]

August is a slow month for everyone. I wasn’t lucky enough to have week-long holidays like most of you, but I felt it too: August is a slow month - one doesn’t really feel like working, nor do anything else than the bare necessities. August being such a slow month(did I say that already? ), the main consequence was that I didn’t feel like blogging - you faithful Hack the Day readers noticed it. What’s more interesting though is that I didn’t feel like reading blogs neither, and here’s the proof:

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One day (this Monday) I felt like jinxed - plenty of unfortunate coincidences, one after the other, tens of minor ingredients adding up to the classic recipe for a bad day. I was angry, furious. I know, sh*t happens, but I hate it when it happens all at once. Maybe Karma has something to do with it or it could be just God’s way to show us he still exists.

Then I remembered an article I had read over here: people who smile get happier, even against their will. Our brain is so used to associating the feeling with the gesture that it actually works both ways.

Angry as I was, I forced myself to smile. And, against all odds, it worked: I instantly felt better. Like magic.

So, yes, here’s the magic tip - whenever you feel down, just SMILE! Doesn’t matter what you’re thinking of. Just smile.

That’s it. The single best happiness tip.

Enjoy

This is the last of a 3 article series on dealing with the stress of an upcoming event. We talk about an exam, but most tips apply to tests, interviews, business meetings.
Go read, if you haven’t already, Part 1 - The evening before
and Part 2 - The morning before

Stress handling during the exam

Pointers:

If blocked out, breathe
Don’t panic
take a break, think of something else
break the writer’s block - write down anything
reread the subjects
underline the key points
sketch out ideas of solutions

Read the rest of this entry »

This is part 2 of a 3 article series on dealing with the stress of an upcoming event. We talk about an exam, but most tips apply to tests, interviews, business meetings.
Go read, if you haven’t already, Part 1 - The evening before
and, once you’re done with this one, continue with Part 3 - Handling the stress during

I guess you had a nice pleasant sleep after all the relaxation from the evening before. Or, yet again, maybe you didn’t. You woke up at 6 AM although your exam, interview or presentation only starts at 10 AM. You might have had nightmares that you went unprepared and woke up sweating in fear. Read the rest of this entry »

This is part 1 of a 3 article series on dealing with the stress of an upcoming event. We talk about an exam, but most tips apply to tests, interviews, business meetings.
Once you’re done with this one, continue with Part 2 - The morning before and Part 3 - Handling the stress during

I don’t handle stress very well. When I was a little tiny insignificant secondary school student, the stress before exams was unbearable - I felt sick, couldn’t focus, couldn’t remember a thing. Luckily I grew up and now, after being through a LOT of such experiences, I developed my own stress-handling routine - it’s now a habit that I apply subconsciously, whenever facing a stressful upcoming event - exam, interview or business meeting.

Let’s, for the story sake, assume you’re having a final exam for a class with a high failure rate. Or, if you prefer, a job interview with lots of applicants and several tests involved. Stress is building up in stages, starting with the evening before the event. Try to follow along the most important stress relief pointers: Read the rest of this entry »

Never in my life have I written an article as controversial as Subway Hacks. People seem to have taken it the wrong way, and this is probably the fault of my writing. Some clarifications are therefore needed:

1. I’m a nice person - I often help old people open doors and carry grocery bags for them. I also most often offer my seat in the bus or subway to the elderly, the sick or to women(be they pregnant or not). But occasionally I DON’T WANNA - I want to enjoy the trip a bit. It doesn’t make me a jerk, just an ordinary passenger. Young people may be feeling sick or tired as well, while some elder people may be feeling better than them. Off course, anyone who is not sick, old or pregnant and occupies the seats in the bus or train that are specially marked for them is a jerk and should be warned so, fined or thrown out of the train. Me, I never sit there.
2. I don’t use to talk to strangers in the subway - it’s weird at the least. But I met some beautiful girls this way. I also think that people are a bit too afraid of each other - socializing is good - it all depends on the circumstances.
3. I don’t encourage people to be jerks, push others around or take others’ space. But I also don’t like it when others do it to me. And, man, this happens all the time in the crowded subway trains around here - over expansive guys that take one seat and a half, squeezing me like I was furniture; business guys whose briefcases hit me occasionally. No, I don’t think being a doormat will help fix this - using their weapons against them will. My tips - be the alpha male and mark your space are therefore to be used wisely and only when other methods don’t work. Don’t be a jerk - instead, help fight the jerks.

These being said, let’s take a look at the most useful comments I had on the subject:

Red says to “go to sleep”. This might work in Japan, but at least in Europe, you risk waking up without your wallet and miles past your destination.

Rasti warns you how to spot pickpockets in Barcelona - Be cautious if you see a group of 3 or more people (generally male) trying to look casual and unconcerned but blocking your way out from the train when there is a lot of empty around.

Phill says that Please take bags off and keep the between your feet - it makes more space yet the wider legs ensure space. It contradicts what I wrote, but it makes sense and minimizes the chance of being robbed.

Malcolm has great tips on the London subway - go to the end of the train and open windows; plus, the obvious, if your destination is close, just walk.

Kevin Bracken suggests to take a job slightly off-hours. You get to avoid the rush hour and get to work and back home more relaxed and in less time. When you take a new job, you could ask, for instance, what their policy is towards the working hours - if it’s flexible enough, you could try this.

Matt says that, as a frequent commuter, he learned which car has the most seats. So.. keep on eye on patterns.

Lizzybee recommends Noise Canceling Headphones and preparing your exit - start moving towards the door one or two stops before the destination.

Tymian writes :

I can see what he meant with the assertivity, though. I no longer give in to people pushing into me- I used to move aside or squish against the wall to let them pass, but what would happen all too often was that the person would move up next to me instead of further down. And I’d be stuck in the weird position I took just so they could squeeze past me. Not funny.

No matter how smart you are, there’s always place for improvement. While the subject has been covered by LOTS of blogs, and although we really can’t add anything new, there’s always place for a quick “Best Tips” and “Best Resources” roundup list

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Update, 4 June 2007 - I beg all of those who find the tips below offensive and rude to go read the Errata as well.

Update, 30 May 2007 - Sometimes hack is the wrong keyword. I learned this the hard way as this article, Survival hacks in crowded subways, got on Digg homepage which led to me getting a LOT of evil comments, ranging from this ain’t a hack, you’re a hack to common sense has never been a hack or you’re a f**k and a jerk. What can I say but apologize for an uninspired title? A more accurate one could have been 5 obvious things to do if the subway is crowded. But inspiration came otherwise, and for that I sincerely apologize to all readers who misunderstood the message, didn’t see it’s irony and were disappointed by a funny/how to/not to list.
Still.. the hatred of some private messages or comments I received still makes me shiver as I remember Kathy. So, once again, sorry if my lame article annoyed or offended you; its purpose was just to entertain, at most…

Hate the crowded train or subway? Hate to be squeezed like a tomato between sweating strangers? These tips can be a lifesaver.

Are you one of the tens of millions who, every morning, have to commute by subway or train to their day jobs? I feel your pain, as I was one of you, daily being squished in the side of the wagon by sweaty crowds of other commuters. Here are some tips I use to make my daily commuting a bit more comfortable.

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