kadavy.net

Introducing Nom.ms: Tweet What You Eat!

2009-06-16T17:23:47Z

Inspired by the great pictures of food that people tweet using services such as TwitPic, myself and some friends have collaborated on nom.ms, a photo-sharing site especially for food lovers. With nom.ms, you can Tweet what you eat - and share recipes and restaurant info - simply by sending a photo of some food to new@nom.ms. And to sign up - well, do the same thing: send a photo of a dish to new@nom.ms. Once you get your nom.ms account hooked up to your Twitter account (we wouldn’t dream of asking for your Twitter password), we’ll start tweeting the subject line of your e-mail. The body will be used as a description for your nomm. Start nomming some nomms today, and tell your friends so you can nomm nomms with them, too!

Save Kadavy: Facebook Disabled My Account

Kadavy.net’s 5th Blogiversary!

2009-05-31T15:37:36Z

I’m overwhelmingly proud to celebrate kadavy.net’s 5th blogiversary today. While this blog certainly hasn’t accomplished as much as many out there in this length of time, starting it was still one of the best “decisions” I ever made. I’m not sure whether to call it a decision, because it was more of an impulse; but I’ve learned over the years that it’s such things that become the most worthwhile. This is a valuable lesson that I wish I would have learned sooner.

It all started with a Blogger account (I’ve since migrated platforms twice). I still get a kick out of reading the first blog post:

Okay, I’m finally trying out this blog thing. I don’t really have any particular intentions for this blog, except to ramble (and perhaps inform) about design, web design and the like. I looked around and saw some very impressive blogs all organized into categories and I was pretty intimidated…only to find out blogger.com seems to make all of that pretty easy. I’m glad I decided to just jump into it. I have a tendancy (sic), when I’m learning something new, to try to take in every detail of something before I attempt it. The result is a sort of paralysis. So, since I don’t know much about blogging yet, and it seems there is a decent amount to know, I’m just going to barf this out and clean it up later.

My favorite part is where I say “I’m just going to barf this out.” It’s amazing how a tiny little snowflake of an impulse can snowball into something greater. When I started this blog, so many people in my life were downright confused as to why I would put my precious evenings, weekends, and even an entire week of vacation time, into doing essentially the same thing I did for a living (I’m not sure if that sounds strange to people - but if it does: keep in mind, I grew up in Nebraska, which I connect to the fact that almost nobody surrounding me had genuine interests or passions that they actively pursued). I had no explanation for them - nor for myself - other than that I couldn’t think of not wanting to do this. I felt a sensation not unlike hunger in the pit of my stomach, and restless urgency in the first knuckles of my fingers.

But it’s those things for which you can stay up until 4am - those things that make you get out of bed in the middle of the night because you can’t get them out of your head - that are most worth pursuing. Having this blog provided a place where I could do things my way. Whenever I may have been coerced throughout the work day to cut corners and sacrifice quality - or to not take risks - to not let things be fun, there was always the blog. Through this blog, not only did I hone professional skills that enabled me to escape the cornfields of Nebraska to work in the richest entrepreneurial environment in the world, I was also able to unlock an undiscovered passion for writing, for sharing knowledge, and - in turn - helping others.

I’m still hungry and restless; but to me this is much more than just a blog. It serves as a reminder that you can’t connect the dots moving forward. You have to have a mound of clay (or barf) before you can make a sculpture people. Barf it out!

Introducing “8 Things This Week!”

2009-05-20T23:06:54Z

In an effort to give my poor little fingers a break, I’ve started producing some video. It’s a little show called 8 Things This Week, and it’s already on it’s second episode.

So, to all of you kadavy.net subscribers (I love you, BTW): yeah, sorry for not telling you sooner, but you probably already know if you’re following me on Twitter. No, sorry (or don’t worry - depending on how you look at it), I won’t be updating you here every time a new episode comes out. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel, where you’ll see the show, as well as a few bonus videos here and there.

From any given episode of 8 Things This Week, you can expect to get a cool tip or two, some random observations from my week, and an amusing song; and hopefully a laugh or two. Please pass it on to your friends, let me know what you like, let me know what sucks, and let me know if you want me to just stop altogether.

The first two episodes are below:

Animated Album Cover Art for Video iPod

I Started a DIY MBA Group (& You’re Not Invited)

2009-05-11T23:42:51Z

Remember when I was testing the waters to see if there was interest in a DIYMBA group? Well, there was plenty of interest. Some were more interested than others. Those in the latter group and I started a DIY MBA group. Here’s what it consists of so far:

Six select members, all of us entrepreneurs in Chicago.
We read books on our own - based on the challenges we each face as business owners. Sometimes they are from the Personal MBA list, sometimes not.
We meet for brunch one Saturday a month at a swanky place in The Loop, and invite a business leader from a particular field of expertise to join us each time and talk about their experiences.
We keep each other updated on what we’re reading, and how it’s helping us with our businesses.

Sorry to say, but you’re not invited. There’s a ton of people we wish we could include in the group - but won’t. Here’s why we’re keeping the group small:

Having a safe place to share confidential information about our businesses enhances the learning experience. This is really a big one.
The waitstaff already hates us for putting down 6 credit cards at each brunch. Six is enough.
In today’s world of bloated invite lists, “maybe” RSVP’s, and no-shows, it’s nice to know who is going to be there each time. We have stronger relationships within the group this way.

That said, I encourage you to start your own DIY MBA group, and I’ll do whatever I can to help you if you do. If you do, we would be very interested to hear how you run your group. Further down the road we can share resources and ideas, and maybe even find a way to join forces.

Some books/resources I/we have found useful:

Harvard Business Essentials books. Right now I’m reading Finance For Managers
The Ten-Day MBA
Business Models Made Easy. What does that phrase that gets thrown around The Valley so much really mean?
Harvard Business Review. Way more substance than those mags that are more fashion than they are business.
John Bain & Company Interview Preparation. “Crack the Case” quizzes that show you how a top consulting firm thinks.
SCORE Free Small Business Counselors in your area.

The DIY MBA: Testing the waters

Submit your beard designs for #kadavy30

2009-05-18T17:15:19Z

Tonight is my 30th birthday party at the Kadavy, Inc. Headquarters in Chicago. I’ll be shaving my beard off, live on ustream, in stages, starting about 8pm CST.Here’s a video on how to submit your beard designs. Maybe you think I need mutton chops. Maybe a handlebar mustache. Maybe a soul patch.

Here’s some general instructions:

Make/find your beard design. Draw a picture on my face with skitch. Or just find an nice beard pic on the web. Just have some visual representation you can link to.
Submit your design. Twitter an @reply to @kadavy, and add the hashtag #kadavy30
Tune in to see what designs win.

Also, you can use this template, designed by Arlo:

Filter Your Social Networking Notification E-mails into a Separate Gmail Account

2009-05-08T03:36:39Z

I love social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, but they send an awful lot of notification e-mails. I get an e-mail every time someone comments on my blog; I get an e-mail every time someone follows me on Twitter. On my birthday, I got 63 e-mails from Facebook! Now, I’m not complaining about getting birthday wishes, and I like to review these other e-mails from time to time; but filtering them into little folders off to the side of my inbox is just too distracting. I want my inbox to have IMPORTANT STUFF in it, and I don’t want the tempation to poke around in these little folders every once in awhile.

I know that I can save myself alot of time and distraction if I just put these e-mails somewhere far, far away, so I’m going to filter them to an entirely new account. Then, I can set up a schedule to manage them in “batches”. Maybe I’ll check the account once a day, maybe three times a week. Maybe once a week. What’s important is that they will be far away from the more important e-mails that go directly into my inbox.

If e-mails from social networking sites are distracting you I’m going to show a special trick to get them out of your way. Check out this screencast.

Remember when it was fun?

2009-04-25T17:38:01Z

Isn’t it supposed to be fun? Remember when it was fun? Remember the freshness? The serendipity. The discovery. Enjoyment. Doing and not expecting, not anticipating. Not even hoping. Because you want to. Need to. Can’t help it. Who cares why! Then. Magic. Discovery. Fireworks! Superness! Who knew!? How is this happening? How can it happen more? Make it happen more. Process. Care. Tweaking. Researching. Repetition. Discipline. Repetition. Goals. Eyeballs. Risk.

Paralysis.

Remember when it was fun?

Make it fun again.

——

Fun photo by -Gep-

Remember How Adaptable You Are

Eight Gadgets for Health, Wealth, & Happiness

2009-04-15T05:13:00Z

For those of you who live a lean lifestyle, as much as you hate affluenza, you have to admit there are a few items that make it all possible.

The iPhone - Nobody can deny the brilliant utility that is the iPhone. Sure, it sucks at making calls; but who likes talking on the phone anyway? From public transit directions on the go; to tons of time and frustration saved through the many Timer app uses; to the countless apps eliminating the need to own a multitude of devices from a calculator, to a guitar tuner, to a flashlight - the iPhone is one of the biggest winners when it comes to helping you live efficiently.
A Macbook / Macbook Pro - Along with the iPhone, these can eliminate the need for alot of other posessions: a home stereo system, a television, and - with a decent internet connection - cable, or even trips to the movies. Best of all, you can take it all with you wherever you go. And with the Remote app for iPhone, you can control your media from afar.
Every heated mattress pad comes with a remote to turn you...*it*...on.

Heated Mattress Pad - Huh? You say. Don’t you mean a heated blanket? Hell no! Heat goes up genius, haven’t you heard? So why would you put heat on top of yourself, when you can have it coming from below. I was skeptical at first, too; but these things are amazing. On those cold winter nights, why heat your whole place, when you’re going to be staying put for the next 8 hours? You can even get the two-sided model so your sleeping partner can control her or his own side of the bed - or you can just leave one side off for the nights you snooze solo. There’s no simpler way to lower your heating bills - and reduce your carbon footprint - than with one of these. At least until they release the heated Snuggie®.
Sonicare Tooth Brush - I held out for so long, but just couldn’t wait any longer, and I’m glad that I didn’t. These things really make a difference in the health of your teeth and gums. When I finished brushing with a manual toothbrush, my teeth still felt like pumice rocks when I was done. Now, they feel like pearls. With the prospects of eternal life on the horizon, I’m holding on to my teeth for damn sure.
Faucet Water Filter - Your water is regulated by the EPA, which is stricter than the FDA (who regulates bottled water), so it’s got to be clean, right? Well, yeah, for the most part, but what about those miles and miles of pipes delivering that water to your Kleen Kanteen? Since I know you live in a relatively dense area to keep things in walking distance, you probably live in an area with some pretty old pipes. Instead of drinking out of bottles that use double the water inside of them just to make themselves, filter the water at the source. If you’re a stickler, the Aquasana has the most complete data about its filtering capabilities, but the Culligan is more reliable and cheaper up-front.
This rice cooker can program your VCR.

Rice Cooker - I know I lead a sheltered childhood, but would you believe I had never seen one of these until I lived in California and had an Asian roommate? Rice makers rock! Especially for those who are wheat-free. You throw rice and water in, press a button, and you have rice for days. Since you’re probably smart enough to not consume evil white rice, but don’t have the patience to stand around to wait for water to finally soak into your brown rice, you’ll love that many of these have a scheduling feature that allows you set what time you’d like the rice to be finished. You might want to drop some extra coin on a Zojirushi: it comes with a recipe book for a bunch of delightful dishes (like Jambalaya) that you can make with the touch of a button. How does it do it? I has artificial intelligence. It knows. Oh, it knows. If you don’t want to spend that much, you can always set up a Craigslist alert.
Sleeptracker Watch - Ever get a full night’s sleep and wake up feeling like the living dead? You probably woke up during the wrong stage of sleep. Sleeptracker is a watch you wear that monitors your body for signals of your more alert periods of sleep. Then, it picks the best time to wake you up - within the 60-90 minute window you’ve set. It sounds crazy, but everyone from Dr. Phil, to 37 signals’ own Jason Fried uses these to wake up. If you get the fancy model, you can even upload your sleep data to do all sorts of creepy things with.
A Library Card - Okay, so this isn’t technically a gadget per se, but have you seen lately what one of these things can do for you? Sure, it’s no Kindle when it comes to eliminating to need to own physical copies of books; but it can get you movies and audiobooks too, and costs you little more than what you’re already paying Uncle Sam. Oh, and the books you get there have nice full-color pictures and such in them. I like to place books on hold through my local library’s web site, and they get delivered to my closest branch within days. Magic! If you haven’t used your local library lately, do it today.

Well there ya have it, hippies: some necessaries, to go along with your hacky sack and bong.

——

Cat photo from Mihnea

Get Craigslist Alerts via SMS with Pingie.com

2009-06-25T14:54:50Z

One of the Eight Life Hacks for Health, Wealth, and Happiness is to Buy Used. But, sometimes this can be tough. Really hot items can go fast off of Craigslist, and then there’s the rarer items - how are you to know when they show up? It can be tempting to just go to the store and buy that food processor you need; but what about all of those food processors out there that need new homes? Here’s a video showing you how I get a text message notification when new items I want show up on Craigslist:

Here’s the summary:

Search on Craigslist for the item you want, and do the appropriate neighborhood filtering.
Click on the “RSS” icon at the bottom of the search results.
Copy and paste the URL for the RSS feed into Pingie.com (if you’re on Safari, you’ll have to change the “feed://” at the beginning of the URL to “http://”) Of course, you’ll have to enter your phone number, carrier, and e-mail address as well.
Next time an item shows up with your search criteria, you’ll get a text message or e-mail notification, and hopefully - just what you were looking for!

I love buying items off of Craigslist because 1) it’s cheaper, 2) it’s good for the environment, 3) you can find more interesting stuff, and 4) I even make friends in the process!

Check out the rest of the Eight Life Hacks for Health Wealth and Happiness

Save Kadavy: Facebook Disabled My Account

2009-03-12T03:13:43Z

UPDATE: My account is back! Turns out I had test account(s) (as a developer) that weren’t officially “test” accounts by Facebook’s standards. I wish Facebook would have notified me in some manner. They should definitely be more careful with this if they want people to trust them with all of that personal data. This made me think a lot about how much precious “information” (memories) I trust they will keep available to me. Anyway, it is good to be back! Thanks everyone for your support and insights.

Facebook disabled my account, and didn’t tell me why. The other day, as I was trying to comment on a Lifehacker thread using their super-cool Facebook Connect integration, I received this message:

HUH?! Disabled? How could my account be disabled? How could they take away from me my main means of communicating with my friends back in San Francisco, and everywhere else? Now I can’t even play Scrabble with my own mother!? Oh, yeah, AND WHY THE FUCK WAS MY ACCOUNT DISABLED?

At first I thought maybe it was this Tweet:

I figured, probably the words “teen sex”, followed by a link, set off some sort of flag when it was syndicated to my status message. One would think they would have a more sophisticated system for screening these things, but whatever. I sent them a message explaining this may have been it.

Then it was pointed out to me that since this tweet started with an “@” it probably wasn’t syndicated to my status message. The mystery continues.

Then I remembered a message I got a few weeks ago, regarding a video I posted that included a song by Spoon.

Hello,

We have removed your video entitled “Proportional Design Technique Time Lapse” uploaded at 8:20pm February 4th, 2009. We did this because we learned that your video might include copyrighted material owned by a third party, such as a video clip or background audio.

If you are the copyright owner, or have permission from the rights holder to upload and distribute this material on Facebook, you may file a counter notice of alleged infringement by following the link below.

Please note that if you re-upload this video without filing a counter notice, or if you upload another video that infringes on the rights of a third party, our system will again remove the content. This could cause your access to the Facebook Video application to be disabled, or your Facebook account to be disabled.

For any other questions, view our Help page.

The Facebook Team

“Okay,” I thought. A little anal, considering the video is only being shared with my friends, but whatever. Typical sort of language for this thing: “this could cause your access to the Facebook Video application to be disabled, or your Facebook account to be disabled.” Surely this language is for flagrant offenders. Anyway. Done deal. I can go on with my life, and spend the rest of my days throwing as many sheep at my friends as I wish.

Well, I guess there was one other video I had up that had a copyrighted song. A little experiment I did with processing.org and a Crystal Castles tune. I uploaded this video well before the Spoon one, so I didn’t think to take it down. Besides, they’ll just take it down and send me another message. Right? Right?

So, I’m left to assume that this was the egregious violation I had committed - putting up a video with a soundtrack that included a copyrighted song. By a group that, incidentally has had some copyright troubles themselves.

It’s been about 48 hours since my account was disabled, and still no comment from Facebook, or response to my inquiry. It’s as if my very existence has just gone into the ether. All those comments from my regular status updates via Twitter - shall be no more. Unless I get my account back.

Oh yeah, and that Facebook application that I spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours developing (which was also just about killed by the new API) what happens to that?

Something is fucked here: yes, I did violate the Facebook Terms of Use by uploading a copyrighted video. In fact - TWO of them. But really guys? Disable my account? And cut off access to a portion of my business without word of when, why, whatTF? That’s a dick move. Would the same happen were I to publish a picture of the Eiffel Tower at night, or a picture of The Lone Cypress?
Everyone should know: Facebook needs to know that if they are going to encourage users to invest their entire social lives in their platform, and to entrust them with housing and managing all of this personal data, those users - excuse me - PEOPLE are going to need to know that access to their own personal data isn’t going to be destroyed on little more than a whim.
So, those of you on the inside can you start one of those Facebook group thingies? Join this group (thanks, Fayza). Get the word out that Facebook is very unforgiving with their policies, and can destroy this account you hold dear without notification.

If you’re on Twitter, please tweet this:

Save @kadavy! Facebook disabled his account: http://tr.im/h7Ji Please ReTweet!

Thank you. Here is a picture of a kitten:

Photo by willgame