A Splintered Mind

Quick iPad Sketch for a Friday Night

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:58:36 PDT

Done in Wacom Bamboo on an iPad.

The Tyranny of Labels and Their Politically Correct Bullies

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:27:24 PDT

OMIGOSH!!! Will Smith is homophobic‽ It must be true; I read it on Twitter!! I mean, they wouldn't make up stuff like that, right? What a total homophone!

What on Earth does this have to do with ADHD or Depression? More than you might realize. Read on.

Last Friday there was a small fury over Will Smith's antics on the red carpet in Russia. He was promoting the release of Men in Black 3 when a reporter attempted to get friendly with him in the press line. If you read reports of the incident on Twitter, Will Smith was a culturally insensitive rube who took offense at some guy's friendly greeting. News sites were more nuanced, but check out the lurid headlines:

Will Smith Slaps Reporter Who Tries Kissing Him on Red Carpet (VIDEO)

Will Smith Slaps Reporter For Trying To Kiss Him In The Mouth At The MIB 3 Red Carpet!

Will Smith ATTACKS Kissy Reporter

Is Will Smith homophobic? (Democratic Underground says mostly "Yes!")

Is Actor Will Smith a Homophobe? (Hollywood Investigator says "No!")

All that reporter wanted was to greet a celebrity to his homeland. And Will Smith smacks him. What a jerk, right?

Well, maybe not. A better account of the incident can be found at the Daily Mail (I can't believe I just typed that…): 'He's lucky I didn't punch him': Furious Will Smith slaps TV prankster for trying to kiss him on the lips on red carpet

In short, a Ukrainian TV prankster, famous for attacking celebrities when they least expect it, waylaid Will Smith at the press line. That's his shtick. He gets into celebrities' faces, embarrasses them on camera, and applauds his cleverness. On Friday, he attempted to embarrass Will Smith by giving him a sloppy greeting.

This is no friendly greeting—no cultural kiss; this is a mauling. And this was the repeat attack, too. He went for Smith's mouth first.

If you watch the video, you can see Smith is none too pleased. Did he react inappropriately when he back tapped the prankster's face? Maybe. Was it excessive? That depends. Wouldn't you have applauded if Will Smith was a Willamina?

If Willamina Smith had beat off an overly aggressive display of affection from a creepy guy, would she be labeled a man-hater? No. World-wide she would be applauded. But the press quickly defines Will Smith's response as anti-gay. What a crock of garbage.

This reminds me of the labeling some ADHD folks and depressives deal with.

How many of you have been told you're just lazy or making excuses because you mention that ADHD makes certain tasks difficult for you? Or perhaps you've been told that you "need to get your act together" by family members with no tolerance of your depression or ailment. Maybe you've even been told by other depressives that you are not actually depressed because they take medication and you don't! In each case, somebody is defining your experience by their terms. For example, I cannot take meds for ADHD or Depression. The meds (of which I have tried countless many) are dangerous to me. Anti-depressants make me suicidal. And I just spent the last twenty years getting over the last bad ADHD prescription—most of which are stimulant based and give me tics. I'm not about to lose 20 more years to another med experiment just to gain somebody else's approval. If I want control over my problems, I need to find other solutions, not the ones foisted upon me by advocates.

When advocates control the news, they control the narrative. They control what words and actions mean. Will Smith doesn't like having his personal space invaded by a stranger? Forget context. He's a homophobe. Similarly, the same intolerance is at play in the mental health arena. Do you experience side-effects taking psychotropic meds? Too bad. We've struggled to like ourselves because we take meds, and you've hurt our cause. You're not really depressed. You don't really have ADHD. You don't really have a problem. Shut up! Go away! Stop talking. You don't represent us, so we'll silence you.

I call these guys what they are: bullies. I don't care if they think their cause is just. They're just bullies.

It is vitally important that you do not allow politically correct bullies to define you by their terms. They will lift up their cause by building on the grave of yours. Just as every man who doesn't like to be face hugged by a stranger isn't a homophobe, every person who uses alternatives to psychotropic meds isn't promoting stigma. I respectfully disagree with those that would label me a man who "doesn't have real Depression" because I treat it with Cognitive Behavior Therapy and not meds. They are entitled to their own opinions until they try to tell me what mine should be.

Don't let the bullies silence and coerce you. Fight back. Get on Twitter and voice your opinion. Get a blog. Speak out on Facebook. When we timidly let the politically correct define the narrative, we participate in our own marginalization. We must be ever vigilant against the advocates who demand compliance to their way of seeing things. When we allow a few bullies to define us, we give up our freedoms of speech and our liberties. We lose our voice. I aim to not let that happen to me. What about you?

Still unemployed today, though I'm sending out résumés. If you like what you read here, any tip would be appreciated. Coming up next will be a review of the ToDo list app, Wunderlist, which I hope you will enjoy reading. Thanks for your support.

Glancing Games and Other Sunday Distractions

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:44:00 PDT

I'm not sure why, but I've found myself caught up in a glancing game at church. This hasn't happened to me for a few years, but what makes it notable is that it involves two different people in the same place, at the same time. This is new and I can't say that I am enjoying it in the slightest.

Last Sunday I sat down to enjoy Sunday School and felt that pull one feels when eyes are upon you. I looked to my right and a pretty blonde looked away. I'd had a glancing game with her last Fall and had thought it was over. Apparently, I was mistaken. Later, as sacrament meeting started, I looked around for my daughters, the Elf & Leprechaun, but found the eyes of another girl. She's a pretty brunette, but too young for me. Whenever our eyes meet I am more than a little uncomfortable. Why is she looking at me? I'm an old dude. What the heck?

You might be wondering why I'd worry that two beautiful, younger girls were staring at me. After all, this is the stuff that fantasies are made of. What I've left out of the story is that the stares aren't amorous; they're bothered. This game has been going on for weeks, so much so that whenever I enter the chapel or foyer, I meet the glance of one or the other. I can't escape them. In fact, I can feel their eyes on me. It's very distracting.

Are you one of those people that can tell when eyes are watching you? I know that I am. I suspect these glancing games happen when I encounter others with the same intuition.

That Sunday there wasn't room to sit together as a family, so the Brownie and I were on the other side of the chapel. The glancing games were the worst they've ever been because of this. I had to look past the brunette to see my daughters, but on the other side of them was the blonde. So all sacrament long I would try to get eye contact with my girls but got eye contact with the other girls instead. It was driving me mad.

Why are they looking at me? I can discount one obvious suggestion. There's no way the brunette finds me attractive. That's just silly; she's too young. And the teacher is in her late 20s and has a boyfriend, so that's not the answer for her, either. Besides, I'm still about 20 pounds overweight, with graying temples, and hair that is so overdue for a cut that I look like Robert Smith of the Cure. Attraction is not at play here.

There is a more likely explanation: They think I've been looking at them, so they look at me to see if I'm looking at them again, which of course I am because I can feel when somebody is looking at me so I look back. After weeks of this, we are so synced that we involuntarily look up whenever we sense the other entering the room. My only comfort is that they look as irritated as I feel. I imagine they're thinking the same thing. Why is he looking at me?!

I'm not sure what to do about it. On one hand I'm experiencing a psychic event, which is more than a little cool, but on the other hand it can be stressful. Where can I rest my eyes without attracting theirs? And here we have our first clue why they might think I've been looking at them: whenever I get bored in church I start to look around.

Studying people is fun. I see the Amazonian blonde, stately and elegant, who is constantly playing with her husband's hair. I notice the elderly gentleman who is illuminated by the glow of his iPad as he cross references scriptures with a flick, flick, flick. I see the Polynesian family with the clever hairstyles. I notice the children clambering over and under the pews, much to the embarrassment of their parents. I watch the newlywed couple whisper and giggle with their heads so close you can see the static electricity entwine their hair. Then I notice somebody looking back. Most of the time that isn't a big event. I smile; they smile. We turn back to the instructor. But sometimes I end up in this mess.

I imagine this could be useful when writing a scene. If my characters were in a similar situation, one or the other wouldn't know what the glancer was thinking. I could project any intent I want there. Are they paranoid? Terrified? Amorous? Obsessed?

If my main character, Skylar, kept meeting the eyes of a pretty blonde, what would he make of it? He's thirteen. You can imagine what he might think, but would he be right? Maybe romance is far from her mind and she just can't believe how shaggy his hair is. Maybe she's being paid to watch him. Maybe she's just caught in the same loop my blonde is likely in, worried he's looking at her so she keeps looking at him to check, which makes him look at her. I'm not sure how I'll utilize this scenario, but it's fun to imagine how much more interesting this glancing game could make the introduction of a new character.

There are so many ways that scenario could be played in my story, but how am I going to play mine? I've decided the first thing I'm going to do is stop being nervous about it. I bet it makes me look guilty. I'm not doing anything wrong. Neither are they. We've just got this weird sync going on for the moment. It might be entertaining to catch their eye and make a funny face at them, but the easiest thing to do would be to simply stop looking around. Next time I sit down for Sunday School I should pay attention to the lesson instead of the faces around me. If I concentrate hard enough, I'll probably not even feel their eyes burning holes in the back of my neck.

~Dˢ

I'm in the Top 20 ADD Blog List? Is There Some Mistake?

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Thu, 17 May 2012 02:14:00 PDT

Bryan Hutchinson over at ADDerworld has put together a list of his top 20 ADDer blogs. Somehow my blog ended up on the list. Can you believe it? What was he thinking? I don't write about puff adders.

Jokes about African vipers aside, I was very honored to make the list. There are nineteen other excellent AD/HD blogs as well listed there. Blogs were selected for helpfulness, transparency, frequency, the amount of posts, and for their positive impact. I can't say my blog is very transparent, tho. A lot of my graphics are quite opaque, but the text background is kinda see through. I'm glad Bryan noticed. It's the little details…

Visit ADDerworld to see the entire list and give the bloggers a holler. Bryan did a fantastic job finding new blood. Many of those blogs were new to me. I can't wait to read them!

Clear: The ADD Friendly ToDo List

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Sat, 12 May 2012 16:48:39 PDT

Recently I have fallen in love with a ToDo list.

I hope this won't be too embarrassing for you, but I have taken it out on dates. In fact, I take it everywhere with me. I even sleep with it. Now, now. I realize I can't marry it…yet…but we are truly inseparable.

A good ToDo list gets out of your way and just lets you write things down. Anything that tries to improve too much beyond the pen and paper paradigm becomes a different beast entirely. That's not to say that ToDo apps with recurring ToDos and alarms and Swedish foot massage are bad. I like getting my feet rubbed, but sometimes I find the overhead on those more powerful but complicated apps makes me put off using the app. Any app that ends up encouraging an ADHD person to rely on his memory instead is not one I can recommend.

That being said, I find that simple ToDo list apps are rather boring. Look at Apple's no frills Reminders. It's clean. It's nice. It's dull. Then along came Clear.

The first thing I noticed about Clear was its interface. I was wowed. It was elegant, simple, and functional. All the slick finger gestures you've come to expect from an iPhone app are present. If you watched the video, you can see that tapping, swiping, and pinching are all put to full effect. Swipe right to clear. Swipe right to delete. Pull the list down to create a new item. Pull the list up to clear finished items. Pinch apart to create an item in between two existing ones. Pinch closed to collapse the list and move to a higher menu. Tap on text to edit. Tap and hold to move the task around in the list. None of these gestures are strangers to the regular iPhone user. Once you memorize what each gesture does, you'll be amazed at how easy the app is to use. (Definitely take time to go through their sample list.)

But does it work?

Yes, but simply telling you that Clear is a functional task manager is like trying to prove a Ferrari is a good car by pointing out that it has good tires. Clear stands out not just with the bells and whistles, but from its design concept from the ground up. Here are a few of my favorite features:

As pointed out before, the clean design and UI elements make this app elegant to look at and use. The text is beautiful. The colors are pleasing to the eye. There are no buttons, boxes, or widgets to clutter the screen. Considering the mess most of my ToDo lists become, this is an added benefit.
Clear features sound effects to provide audible confirmation to actions. People who find this annoying can turn it off in the app settings, but others such as myself will enjoy this added reward for productivity. Besides, I just know they'll be adding Star Trek sound effects as an Easter egg one day soon. Then I'll truly be living in the future.
A recent update added Shake to undo quickly corrects accidents. The same update also let folks have tasks longer than 24 characters. I appreciate the clean look that 24 character tasks gave the app, but it was nice to see the devs respond to user requests and add these two features.
One fun aspect of the app is the multiple color themes provided for variety. More on that in a moment.
Each new list begins with an inspiring quote. Each cleared list rewards you with another. I like that extra touch, though I don't often see the reward; my lists never end.
My favorite geeky ToDo list feature is the "Active List Count for Badge" setting. If you are like me, you have half a billion lists, but only one that you are actively using. Yet the app's badge shows a count for ALL TOTAL TASKS. Nothing is more daunting than seeing 547 in read hovering above the "Let's get things done today! W00t!!" app of your choice. Clear gives you the option of only displaying in the badge the number of tasks in your currently selected list. I love, love, love this feature.

One flaw I have discovered in the Clear method is when one wants to move a task from one list to another. There is no way to do that easily. Instead, one must cut & paste from one list to the next. At the end of a busy day with multiple tasks uncleared, this can be a wee bit tiresome. It's not overly complicated, and I have it down pat now, but it is a bit tedious. I'd like to see a two finger hold and move operation implemented that let me move a task from one list to the next. Or tap and hold the task to the top of the list, then wait for the list menu to appear.

Still, there is so much about this app that pleases. Simplicity and interest is a powerful combo for an ADHD mind. Aside from sound effects, Clear has more than the usual variety of color schemes to keep the app feeling new to me — something that I have found is key to sticking with any task manager system. Such a simple feature, yet not offered in most of the task managers that I have used. At first, I just played with the different themes until I found one I liked, but soon I discovered that I could avoid ADHD boredom by simply picking a new theme every few days. When I discovered that there were secret themes built into the app that one could unlock, I was hooked. The latest update added even more secret themes, some unlocked by using features in the app, and some linked to other apps as a form of promotion.

I will be honest with you. If you are looking for a powerful task manager with priorities, due dates, repeating ToDos, and Swedish massage, Clear is not going to be an app you will enjoy using. However, if you want a ToDo list app that builds on the simple pen & paper version but with intuitive, modern features, then you owe it to yourself to check out Clear.

Since I am currently unemployed, any support you folks can send my way will be very appreciated by my daughters and I. I write without pay here for the love of it and because I know many of you find what I write useful. Please donate, leave comments, or share this blog. Let me know I’m not whistling into the wind. And thanks for all the support you have given me in the past. I appreciate it all.

Thinking Deeply Again

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Thu, 17 May 2012 01:14:42 PDT

The ~~Goblin~~ Brownie is in happy Netflix Land in the other room, and in a few moments the Leprechaun & Elf will be home. My time alone will be over. I've been rethinking how I spend my time lately and wishing I had tighter control of it. Of course, my brain's a freely spinning frisbee heading to parts unknown, but perhaps with a bit of effort I can rein it in and have more to show for my day—other than errands and work.

I need to live with greater purpose. I'm not as distracted as I am unfocused at the moment. I have goals, but I have to admit that my depression and this divorce have buried much of the enthusiasm I usually have for life. I'm surviving, but I'm not tackling my goals with passion, determination & focus. I want to change that.

So today I will write another 1000 words and blog and cook dinner and wash laundry and pick up the house and exercise with the kids and do basically everything. Because I have to, and because I can. Then maybe I can start to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Because sitting here feeling blah isn't helping me get anything done. And getting things done is how I determine whether I have any value or not.

~Dˢ

Update: I forgot that the Brownie dislikes being called the Goblin. I upgraded her name only recently at her request. Please don't tell her I slipped up. Shhhh!

Musing Monday - Let's Try This Again

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Thu, 17 May 2012 01:14:42 PDT

Gorgeous day today. Sure wish I had spent it on the side of a river with a hayseed in my mouth and wind in my hair. Instead, I spent it either indoors or en route to another location indoors. Errands are the new R&R.

Back when I was insane and thought having two blogs was a good idea, I tried different ways to attract other authors and writers. I posted Monday Musings for a while, but somehow life and stuff and stress got in the way and I stopped doing them. Isn't that a shame? One of them is even in my top ten pages. Baffling, but flattering. No, wait. It features Miley Cyrus in her underwear. Oh, I understand now.

Let's change the subject.

If your main character from your work in progress was lying under the tree above and looking at that sky, what would he or she be thinking? Here's mine:

Lunch is almost over and I haven't thought of a new gag for Craigslist yet. Nate's going to win this one for sure. I was positive that last gag was going to work. I mean, how was I supposed to know blind people would want a panty shaped Miley Cyrus pillow that speaks the time? What a disaster! Kayla looked at me like I was a monster. Jeez, loser fanboys were supposed to call, not blind people.

But Nate's glowing meteor that he "found" in his back yard beat me hands down. He had calls from all over the country for two weeks. He told them all it was legit, but he wasn't sure if it was safe. He kept setting off alarms at the courthouse when it was in his pocket. Even Kayla thought that was funny.

Wait, I could post a personal for TSA fans! I'll tell them I'm hosting a pat down party! Uh, on second thought. Bad idea.

I need that date with Kayla. I wonder if she would like flowers. Not these. They look like little alien fuzz blobs. I mean real ones like from the flower shop, in a vase with that green stuff around it. Hey, I got it!

Can't get to Mars? Bring Mars to you! Alien seeds from ancient meteors. RARE!! Plant them in your garden. They go great with roses. Contact for more info. Must be willing to prove over the phone you have experience with xenohorticulture.

That date is mine!

Misplaced Items and Memory Glitches

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Fri, 04 May 2012 08:00:00 PDT

No matter how often I pat myself down or mentally go over my list of belongings, all I need is one crucial distraction to send me on my way without a precious item. I still pine for my favorite pair of Ray-Bans from years ago, lost on a bus somewhere. Or was it at that friend's house? Wait, no. She had my favorite mix tape. Wait, no she didn't, and I asked her if she had it so many times she isn't talking to me. I was certain she had it. Good thing I didn't ask her about the Ray-Bans.

Sometimes it is like that. We have an image in our mind of where we lost an item and we can't shake it. We probably set them down somewhere stupid, but we think they are someplace sensible. One could almost say we become fixated on them. The other day I was CERTAIN that I had brought my wrist weights home with me after a late night walk. However, I can't find them anywhere and they probably were left on the platform when I was taking movies of freight trains last week. I can see them underneath that odd glowing art ball they installed on the platform, but my mind keeps telling me they are in the garage.

They aren't.

Unless I can install RFID trackers on all my belongings and have them set off alarms when I walk away from them, I must live with losing them. Heartbreaking, but true. Then sometimes I can get lucky.

I took my two youngest girls to get new eyeglasses last week. I'm not sure what distracted me, but I left the office without my Boredom Survival Kit™. I didn't get very far before realizing my mistake and I called the office immediately. Unfortunately, they had gone home. I called them at every variation of their phone number, getting all the empty offices and the fax machine. But never a human being. I had to live without my journals, iPad, pens, and various implements of entertainment for a night. Assuming I had actually left my satchel there. What a horrible feeling.

There was a time where something like that would keep me up all night, but I slept rather well. Instead I was up at the crack of dawn calling them again. I got the receptionist who had a vague familiarity with English. It didn't help my anxiety.

"Hello, my name is Douglas Cootey. My daughters and I were in your office last night, and I left my satchel on a chair. Can you find it and set it aside for me?"

"A sah chell?"

"Yes, a satchel. A black satchel."

"A black sat shell?"

"A satchel. Yes, a satchel," I said with a thousand angry Irishmen screaming for vengeance in my ears. Then I paused. "A bag."

"Oooooooh. You left a bag. I will go look."

A moment later and I breathed a little easier.

"Yes, we have your bag. We will be in the office until only noon today."

"That's fine; I'll be right there."

"We close at noon."

My Irish kinsmen began to clamor for blood again, but I simply hung up and let them help me peddle the two miles over to her office. I zipped in, swept right by her, and grabbed my bag. I didn't bother explaining myself. The Irishmen were finally tuckered out and I didn't want to rile them up again.

Ah, my bag. And my iPad. And my journals. And my heart stopped pounding.

I don't often misplace items and leave them in optometrists' offices overnight. That was a new one for me. I won't repeat that anytime soon.

At least I hope I don't. I did misplace those weights. And the o-ring on my drink bottle has wandered off. You don't think my friend has it and my mix tape, do you? I should call her.

Writing Interrupted

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:54:08 PDT

There I was all excited to start researching anecdotal stories for my ADHD eBook when I slipped into a time vortex. I thought I was careful about those sort of things, but here I am two weeks later, dazed and more than a little confused. I saw a blur of pink, some bling coated jeans, and hair spray, then I woke up this morning. What was I supposed to be doing again?

Yes, my girls are with their mother for the next two weeks, and my time with them is over. Now I must adjust to life again without them. After seven months of this you might think that I would be accustomed to it, but when you throw Depression into the mix I'm only now making sense of things. Months ago I could see the difference between sadness and Depression, but now my awareness has become even more keen, most likely because I am healing. The mental fog is lifting, and I am starting to see the new Depression triggers for Life2.0. In fact, I only noticed last week that my Depression flares with every kid switch. It seems obvious in hindsight, but when your day is spent surviving, fighting off Depression, raising girls, and running around like a crazy person, you can miss the obvious.

There is something else I noticed. I pined for single women with children during the two weeks without the kids. I am so very glad I noticed I was doing that before I got myself in trouble. I spent months wondering what was wrong with me. Fortunately, I stopped myself before placing a Craigslist ad:

SWM searching for SWF with buttloads of kiddies. Toilet trained only please. No pets. Sanity optional.

Knowledge is power, so goes the expression, and I am indeed more knowledgeable now. In fact, knowing what I had to look forward to I thwarted the Depression episode yesterday by keeping my spirits up and my awareness even higher. For the first time since the divorce I did not become devastated the day after the switch. This is amazing progress. What a shame I lost all that time in the two weeks previous in an ADHD time vortex. It's a blemish on my otherwise shiny new awareness.

I can see now that if I can't compensate for being a single dad with three girls during my time with them, then I might have to have alternative writing goals every two weeks. I can be aggressive now that I am alone, but in a short while I will need to reduce my expectations when my daily responsibilities change. Perhaps if I set lower goals while the girls are with me I might be able to actually accomplish something instead of setting unrealistically high goals and accomplishing nothing.

~Dˢ

Writing with Focus When Depression Clouds the View

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 22:10:00 PDT

Life has been tough lately. (I know, somebody call the Waaahmbulance.)

So if I told you that I haven't been writing, you might not be surprised. I'm currently unemployed, dealing with crushing Depression, and still recovering from being divorced. (Yeah, it's been seven months. No, I'm not over it yet. Let's see you get over the end of a 23 year marriage quickly. No, please, show me. I'd really like to know how.) But the fact is that I have been writing. My problem has been that I'm writing too many things.

You know me. I'm Mr. Too Many Irons in the Fire. It's my Wampanoag Indian surname. I'm sure my ancient Sachem ancestor would be proud of me. (Actually, I would love to know what that name was in Wampanoag. Too bad the colonials stamped out Wampanoag culture after King Phillip's War.)

Anyway, where were we? Mr. Too Many Irons in the Fire. I have one finished middle grade novel, another on the back burner, three or four finished picture book manuscripts, several short story ideas, a cool kid detective story that has been burning in my mind, and the desire to write an ADHD eBook based in part on my escapades as an ADHD expert. (Oh, have I been holding out on you. I've got a story so horrifyingly typical of ADHD that it is being saved for the book.) I've got a few hundred ideas and no time to write them. When you flit from project to project like a butterfly hopped up on nectar, you don't get anything finished.

So I spent last Monday making THE DECISION. I can't do it all, and I work best one idea at a time, so which idea was it going to be? Was I going to rewrite my middle grade novel about the singing cat? Was I going to write that dark fantasy short story? Was I going to start the kid detective project which would require one new story being released per month with illustrations? (I never said the ideas were realistic…) Or was I going to write that ADHD eBook?

After an agonizing few hours of sorting pros from cons, I decided to write the ADHD eBook. It seemed the easiest project to do because its writing style would be an extension of what I was already doing here. Also, I needed to focus in on getting a paying gig somewhere and that eBook seemed the project least likely to distract me.

Do you know what happened? Once I made that decision, I created a todo list and started checking things off that very night. I've been steadily working on the eBook all week. I cannot believe how much progress I have made. Today I created the eBook's outline by chapter, and next week I start researching this blog for stories. (Follow along on Twitter and you might be able to help out.) The eBook is happening.

Now that I have focus, I am very surprised how little focus I had before. I see that Depression clouded my mind, keeping me down and unproductive. Again, I find the impact of the divorce far more reaching and disruptive than I anticipated. So many coping strategies forgotten by the wayside… I am glad that I have spent the past twenty years learning how to regulate my mind. I pulled from those experiences as soon as I was able. Maybe in a shorter time than I think I will find myself "over it" and well adapted to single life.

Just in case I have a relapse or two, I have "hired" on a friend to help. I created an online todo project over at Producteev and made him a teammate. He checks the list daily and looks to see that I've been busy. I don't want him to hold my hand, so he has been instructed to prod me only if he doesn't see any activity after three days. That gives me plenty of opportunity to overcome my Depression or ADHD fog all on my own. I'm hoping the system works.

If you are struggling to accomplish your goals, maybe you have too many of them. Pick one goal to work on, and get a friend or family member to help you stay on track. It's bound to help you feel better about yourself, and you may even finish the goal faster than you imagined. But start by picking that ONE project to work on. Good luck!

~Dˢ

Follow me on Twitter as @SplinteredMind. I also explore iPhone photography with Instagram as douglascootey (peek). And if you're a glutton for punishment you can friend me on Facebook as well, or find me on Path where I explore my coping strategy process.

Licorice ADHD Whims and Other Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:33:06 PDT

For all my self-perceived unproductivity, I never stop working. Ever. From morning to night I am pushing myself to be productive. Oh, there are distractions aplenty, to be sure. I don't plan them in, and they throw off my schedule. Then I am tempted to scowl aplenty while I scurry around trying to salvage my day.

I've been doing that a lot lately. Tonight, however, I gave myself permission to spin. I got in my car, drove to the grocery store, and loaded up with licorice. It's National Licorice Day again, don't you know? What a festive time of year where grown men can buy vast amounts of candy and shock cashiers across the nation. Most cashiers can't imagine liking licorice enough to purposefully buy six different kinds of it. Perhaps Hallmark is at fault. I couldn't find any National Licorice Day cards to share with friends and family.

I'm certainly not eating it all tonight, but it was fun to splurge on some fancier types I don't usually get. I sampled one of each flavor tonight then tucked them away, and I'm sure my girls will help my expanding waist when they arrive next week by relieving me of the burden of oversampling.

Those of us with ADHD that stress over unproductivity need an occasional break to guiltlessly spend time on a harmless whim. We have ADHD. We get whims. I spend so much effort clamping down on them that I feel I am a bit boring, to be honest. So tonight I let loose for a short while, and now I'm back to work.

Maybe you can let yourself give in to a creative or culinary whim. Let your hair down, so to speak, and enjoy your zany mind. Because I allowed myself to follow my whim, I had a fun conversation with the cashiers and learned that today was also National Grilled Cheese Sandwich day. I then learned that I missed International Cleavage Day last week. Isn't every day Cleavage Day online? Well, now there's a holiday for it. My life is enriched.

Well, OK. Maybe not. But I met new people and laughed and got out of the apartment, three things that would not have happened if I had rigidly clamped down on that whim. It was a simple whim: You should go buy some licorice to celebrate today. And so I did.

Obviously, if your whim is "Hmm, maybe I should knock over a bank," I would recommend clamping down on it. But let me know what harmless whims you like to give free rein to. Do you feel that letting yourself be fully ADHD sometimes is healthy?

Follow me on Twitter as @SplinteredMind. I also explore iPhone photography with Instagram as douglascootey (peek). And if you're a glutton for punishment you can friend me on Facebook as well, or find me on Path where I explore my coping strategy process.

Distraction Disaster! Sucked into the iPad Vortex!

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:39:19 PDT

Lately I've been working on an eBook based on my experiences with ADHD and iPhones. It seemed a fitting project to take my blog writing to the next level.

I enlisted the aide of a friend to help keep me on track just in case my ADHD or Depression waylaid my progress. As he looked over my eBook task list and the subjects I would be covering, he noticed an omission and texted me:

Maybe have [a section] for "Oh! Shiny!" on ways to avoid distractions (like going to news sites and spending hours there instead of doing what you're supposed to be doing)?

What‽ It's like he knows me or something.

The funny thing was that I was momentarily shocked. How could I have forgotten that simple aspect of ADHD management? Didn't I used to do that? Didn't I used to use my iPhone to keep track of my online time? And why wasn't I doing that anymore? Oh, that explained soooo very much lately. Getting divorced and setting up a new home had knocked me off my old routine.

I don't tend to read news on my iPhone; the screen is too tiny. But I love to spend hours of time reading on my iPad. That is why I used to have a Lockscreen reminder to keep news reading to under one hour. I'd also set a timer on my iPhone to keep me from spending too much time on news. It created a good habit. I even got my news addiction down to thirty minutes. If I wanted to read more news, I would do it while pacing. That way I got exercise and satiated my need.

Then life pulled a rug out from under me. Funny how we can forget routines so easily when we are knocked on our butts. But now I'm all excited. I can't wait to re-implement this practice into my morning routine.

Smartphones Are Windows Into Distraction

The nefarious thing about iPhones, iPod Touches, iPads, and other internet savvy devices is that they are windows into an ever changing world. For people with ADHD, these devices can be like Smeagol's ring, gripping their hearts and not letting go. Nothing can be more addicting to a person with an intolerance for boredom than a little device that they can hold in front of their face and be endlessly entertained with link after link after link for hours on end.

I know the temptation all too well. Factor in social networking, and you can share news links and stupid Youtube videos all day long thinking you are busy doing something while in fact you are doing nothing at all. Since my divorce has triggered the worst Depression I've experienced in my life, I find myself lost in the glow of my iPad when I should be writing, working, or doing just about anything else. It's easy; it's comforting, but it's a waste of time. Yet I find myself struggling to escape its vortex.

Use Your iPhone to Manage Your Time with a Timer

My weapon of choice tomorrow will be the built in Apple app "Clock" on the iPhone. I have read many a snide comment about this app online, but I love it. Tap on "Clock" and then tap on "Timer" along the bottom dock. Set a timer for 30 minutes and be prepared to stop. You can do the same with an egg timer, but egg timers can't play back snide Bart Simpson or menacing Lord Vader sound files. I like to use a clip of Ataru Moroboshi being electrocuted with love to catch my attention. There are many apps that will go even further and play music from your collection at the appointed moment. I use "Awaken", but there are a plethora of apps for you to choose from in the app store that do the same.

Sometimes I don't want to be stopped from what I'm doing as much as I just need a reminder that time is passing. In this case I set an alarm a half hour ahead in "Clock". When the alarm goes off it will feature a "Snooze" button in the Notification screen to tap for a 9 minute delay. If I'm not finished working, the 9 minute snoozes help me be aware of how much time has passed. The current time is prominently displayed right above the Snooze button. It's very effective at helping me keep on track.

Another app that can help is "Interlude" which gives you a different front end to your music collection, but it's big selling point is that it interrupts the music in between songs to let you know what time it is and how much time has passed. It's free and, frankly, fantastic for ADHD types who lose track of time.

Good Habits Take Practice to Develop

Obviously, using a timer requires discipline. There is no iOS app out there that will helpfully slap you in the face when time is a'flying. But with effort you can learn to use your iDevice to do more than just play "Angry Birds Space". You can actually manage your time and be productive. Imagine that.

Follow me on Twitter as @SplinteredMind. I also explore iPhone photography with Instagram as douglascootey (peek). And if you're a glutton for punishment you can friend me on Facebook as well, or find me on Path where I explore my coping strategy process.

Sunday Confessional: Depression Is Kicking My Butt

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:08:27 PDT

I thought the last few years had been pretty tough as my 23 year marriage dissolved around me, but nothing prepared me for divorce. Wow. It's as if my heart has been scooped out with a spork, stomped on, kicked to the curb, then lit on fire. Not that I'm being melodramatic or anything.

Since hitting the six month post-divorce mark and realizing that dating would be dangerous at this time despite how lonely I was (or because of it), and watching my bank account go from black to red to blood red, I haven't been the happiest of people. I think the clincher was when I realized that I found single mums with kids HOT only on weeks that I didn't have my girls. That's pretty pathetic, don't you think? And the fables people told me of LDS women waiting in the wings for worthy men such as myself used to irritate me, but now make me laugh. Yes, somewhere there must be an LDS ward filled with lonely women anxious to marry broken men with pot bellies. Now, shut up. You'll scare away the unicorns.

Yes, I am finally ready to admit that I do not have a good grip on this Depression; it has a grip on me.

The tipping point was when I was frantically ripping my apartment apart the other day to find my missing garage door opener. I had just finished a fruitless search under the TV when I suddenly finished my journey to the floor all the way and simply laid there. I didn't move. I didn't even think. I just felt.

Let me see if I can put what I felt into words:

Mehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…

After a few minutes, I began to realize that the view wasn't very interesting and that perhaps there were better things to do, yet I couldn't think of any. Then I felt stupid. I was staring at my Airport Express, for crying out loud. It doesn't even blink! Get up and MOVE!!!

But the sadness was crushing.

I thank Heavenly Father at times like that for having ADHD. Suddenly I was fascinated by the abstract structure of the Ethernet cable moving through space, catching light only in certain places. On a whim I photographed it while laying there and gave it a witty name (☜ This Way UP) to make it seem I'd done it all on purpose.

Ah, the spell was broken. Creativity again to the rescue. I had a good laugh at myself for lying there staring at a wall, and I pushed myself into action for the rest of the night.

There was a day twenty years ago that I would have spent the day in that position. I could have lost months in that crushing funk. I am not interested in visiting those days again. I've fought too hard to put them behind me. I've fought too hard to master my Depression to let it gain mastery again. And yet here I am on the battlefield wearing only sweatpants and goofy Highlander baseball cap. I'm not even wearing any shoes. I'm going to get my fanny handed to me on a platter if I don't gird up, step up my game, and fight back.

Fighting off Depression when your heart aches and you feel as if breathing requires a great deal of effort is not an easy thing as some of you know and others can imagine. But if we don't fight, we lose. Life is too precious to waste by feeling sad for no reason alone on a floor somewhere.

Do I have a reason to be sad? Yes. My best friend in the world unfriended me, so to speak. But is what I'm feeling appropriate? I used to think so, but if I have evenings of exciting wall watching in my future, then maybe this isn't about being sad anymore. Maybe it has nothing to do with the divorce, either. This is just Depression, that ugly old cuss, and it's time to kick back.

So now you've heard my confession. I don't feel magically happy because I've written it. The sadness is still there like a vice clamped around my heart. But I have a bit more hope today than I did the other day when lying down and staring at a wall outlet seemed like a good idea. It doesn't matter that the moment only lasted a few minutes at best. That it happened at all disturbs me, and I'm ready to fight again. I hope that some of you will fight the battle with me.

Follow me on Twitter as @SplinteredMind. I also explore iPhone photography with Instagram as douglascootey (peek). And if you're a glutton for punishment you can friend me on Facebook as well, or find me on Path where I explore my coping strategy process.

In Your Face iPad & iPhone Reminders That Work

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 14:54:43 PDT

You may recall that I have ADHD. It's something that has come up now & then on this blog. One of the hallmarks of ADHD is an unbelievable memory. No, really. I can't believe all the times I forget things. Like where I put my garage door opener. I just spent two days looking for it because I failed to put it in its designated place. Lots of fun.

Other things I forget are the items I go to the store for. That's why I create shopping lists. Of course, there's no hope for me if I forget to put something on the list.

But the worst case of all is when I forget why I picked up my iDevice. I can be guaranteed an hour of distraction easily then. Maybe two. Then time flies by and the important item that needed doing is never done. Regrettably, there is always something more important to do than read more news or catch up on social networks. That's why I get cross with myself when I waste time, and that's why I try to stop distraction cold at the Lockscreen.

The first thing you'll need is an app that lets you create wallpapers with notes on them. The one I use is called Sticky Notes. Whatever app you choose, the most important aspect to remember is to keep things simple in three easy steps:

Pick out a striking background.
Put a blank note in the center of your screen.
Write your reminder.

Save, then visit your image in the camera roll of the Photos app. Select your reminder as a wallpaper there. The iPhone version of Sticky Notes opens the wallpaper preferences for you. You can select your reminder from there as well. Next time you grab your iDevice and turn it on, your reminder will be staring you in the face.
As with any sort of reminder, however, there are good and bad ways to implement them. Over time, I have found that keeping the following pointers in mind leads to more successful reminders for me:

Use no more than two reminders at a time.
I have found that having a virtual todo list of items on my Lockscreen is so overwhelming I begin to ignore it.
Change after a week.
Keeping the reminder fresh is key to its effectiveness.
Try not to have too busy or interesting of a backdrop.
You can see for yourself that my iPad Lockscreen is much busier than the iPhone version. The busier the background, the less effective the reminders. I was more interested in playing with Decim8 than making an effective background, but coloring the reminder's text helped it stand out. Usually, tho, I opt for a less competitive background.
Keep the reminder short and simple.
You only have a few nanoseconds to capture your attention before you swipe your iDevice open and dive into the Pool of Distraction. You'll tune out and eventually stop seeing the reminder altogether if your have too much text.

Obviously, this is not a sure-fire method to snap you to attention and save you from yourself. If you are craving your daily Pinterest updates, then you won't likely stop no matter how tall you type "DO YOUR TAXES!!!!!1!" on the Lockscreen. However, with training and practice, you will find that having one or two key reminders on the Lockscreen can help you keep focused when you might not otherwise be.

Follow me on Twitter as @SplinteredMind. I also explore iPhone photography with Instagram as douglascootey (peek). And if you're a glutton for punishment you can friend me on Facebook as well, or find me on Path where I explore my coping strategy process.

Taking Depression for a Walk and Bringing Creativity Along

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:44:00 PDT

I've been dealing with a lot of Depression lately. Oh, I dunno. Maybe it has something to do with the divorce and being lonely and having unsteady employment. It could be because my teeth are too yellow & spaced to attract anything other than an ivory collector. Most likely it has more to do with a lack of focus in my life and a need for a BIG GOAL. Or maybe I'm depressed just because. That is the nature of the beast, isn't it? Wait, no. It's the lack of money. Gotta have more of that stuff.

Last week I was hit deeply with a funk, like it had landed on my head from above and came in the form of a very obese walrus. I just lay on my living room floor, totaled by Depression's blubbery arrival and looking up at the fan. Fortunately for me ADHD always comes to the rescue. There is only so much fan twirling I can take in before my mind begins demanding I do ANYTHING else to relieve the boredom. Another fortunate thing for me was that the Elf was home and could watch the Brownie for me. I forced myself to move. Forced myself to dress. Forced myself to grab my iPhone and head out the door.

As usual, the very act of moving was enough to start pushing the depression into the background. I believe moving despite not wanting to is an act of faith we invoke. We can be better if we just do something — any something — that moves us away from the sadness. It's an act of empowerment that creates change.

That night the air was cool and the wind was chilling. My fingers became stiff with the cold, but I worked on my middle grade detective story as I walked along my route. By the end of my walk my fingers were frozen solid, but I had developed all the villains. Then I took creative photos of the world around me.

Surely the change of scenery had a positive effect on me, as did getting up and moving. I write about those coping techniques in "Depression: Ten Ways to Fight It Off". Sometimes you may find that several acts of change are required because some funks are deeper than others, and that was the case for me that night. What I have discovered since compiling that list is that expressing creativity can also have a therapeutic effect on Depression. In many ways, it is very much like getting up and moving. We exercise faith that doing something different — anything different — will have a positive effect. The activity is difficult to do at first since the Depression is so overwhelming, just like having that very obese walrus set up camp on top of you. But when we persevere and push forward, maybe even getting caught up in the new activity, we can strike Depression a blow. We change our thinking and therefore change our mood.

On Wensday I had a kid home from school with what we thought was pre-seizure activity, so I couldn't get out and walk my blue funk away. And wow, was my funk a heavy, mottled, blueberry blue — a blue so deep it was dark as night. A trip to the therapist couldn't be arranged for two weeks. Psychotropic drugs would only give me bizarre side-effects. And I couldn't go out for a walk. What was I to do? "Give in," said a thick, blubbery voice. Ah, that pesky walrus again.

Having a toolbelt of coping strategies is very important in these situations. Not all solutions are best for each situation, and some aren't powerful enough for the moment, or not available. I decided to write this blog, exercising creativity instead of moping. Then, when I realized that the li'l Brownie wasn't going to have a seizure after all, I took her and the Leprechaun out for a bike ride. Both incidents of change resulted in my Depression being pushed into the background. Some days I can even beat it back entirely.

And so I lived to survive another day and added a new tool to my toolbelt. Creativity has proven to be a very powerful coping strategy for me. Too bad I didn't have anything in play for my ADHD. I wrote the blog and saved it as a draft to the server and never published it. Oh well. I can't win at everything.

Follow me on Twitter as @SplinteredMind. I also explore iPhone photography with Instagram as douglascootey (peek). And if you're a glutton for punishment you can friend me on Facebook as well, or find me on Path where I explore my coping strategy process.

ADD: It's Not Always Your Fault You Lost Your iPad

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:06:50 PDT

I refer to my thirteen year old affectionately as the Leprechaun. It's a name based more on her Irish impish disposition than her luck. In fact, she's been anything but lucky lately as her head has become a magnet for impact damage. It seems that if there is anything around her that is capable of konking her on the noggin, not only will she be in its path, but it will fail to miss. The downside is that since she got her first concussion when walking into the Beast's chair on stage as Belle last month, she has not healed. Headaches and occasional blackouts have kept us worried.

So there we were in the night time pediatrics unit awaiting her prognosis. There was the waiting and the waiting and the CT scan and the waiting and the waiting. During all this time I played with my iPhone while she texted on hers. Then our phones died and we were forced to talk to each other. All in all, not a bad Daddy/daughter date. She appreciated me helping her out even though it wasn't my week with the kids, and I appreciated being with her.

Then I discovered I had lost my iPad.

Apple's Find My iPhone doesn't work very well on WiFi only iPads. There's that funny little hitch where the iPad needs to be actually connected to the internet to report its location. I had no idea where I had put it down. In the waiting room? In the patient room? At the CT scan area? At any number of places I visited with my girls earlier? On top of my car? I know it is two years old, but $599 is $599 and I was starting to panic.

We revisited the offices and pestered the nurses. We called the Leprechaun's mother. I tweeted my distress. And then I began blaming myself.

I am constantly losing things. Important things. Most of the time I get lucky, like that time I left my Boredom Survival Kit™ in a parking lot at a school and refound it hours later all alone in the dark. Somebody had rifled through it, probably looking for ID, but had left my MacBook and other expensive items unharmed. This time I was certain I was not going to be so lucky.

People with ADHD are used to making mistakes. All we need is ONE errant thought at the wrong time and we can walk away from important items or forget about important events. I have lost friends over this wonderful ability to get distracted so completely. I even have family that thinks very little of me. Normal people just can't believe that anybody could be as forgetful as we are. We must be doing it on purpose.

Yeah, I lost my iPad somewhere on purpose. Right.

This is why I have so many routines that I follow. I feel like an old man with all the patting and muttering I do as I go over my list before leaving any room. Do I have my wallet? Keys? What? Where? Oh, there they are. Why are they in that pocket? There. That's better. Now where is that book/bag/item/whatever?

Obviously, I had failed to go through my routine at some point and left my iPad on a chair or shelf or stack of magazines &c. Now somebody has found it, wiped it, and is using it carefree, the dirty scumbags. No! I'm the scumbag! How am I going to afford another one right now? Idiot! Where did I put it? I can't be trusted with anything. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

"Here it is!" the Leprechaun chirped cheerfully.

It seemed that the Goblin, my ten year old, had taken it out of my bag without permission earlier and used it in the back of the minivan. Out of sight, out of mind.

And what of all that blame? It's been a while since I laid into myself so severely. In fact, stopping that destructive thinking process was one of the first things I forced myself to do years ago before I even began this blog. I couldn't learn to like myself if I was beating myself up all the time. There I was. Blaming myself for something that wasn't even my fault. Insulting myself secretly while the silly iPad was behind me under a seat in my own minivan.

Nevermind that panic doesn't help any situation, pointless blame doesn't help the situation either. I've relearned my lesson. And if you have a problem overly blaming yourself, you would do yourself an immense favor by training yourself to not do that anymore. Not everything is your fault. Besides, sometimes some of these moments can be funny. My children still laugh about that poor box of donuts I put on top of the minivan over ten years ago and forgot to bring in. I didn't remember about them until something slid off the roof down the road. They were a little worse for wear, but still edible. So keep your cool and lay off the self-blame. Whatever you lost may be just behind you on the floor.

Follow me on Twitter as @SplinteredMind. I also explore iPhone photography with Instagram as douglascootey (peek). And if you're a glutton for punishment you can friend me on Facebook as well, or find me on Path where I more openly discuss my coping strategies and feelings.

The Clarity of Sudden Death

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 07:00:03 PST

Weather in the South West is a hodgepodge during the spring. As March peeks its head out of the bleary Winter ground, we are often treated to a split personality of temperatures. Hot. Cold. Spring. Snow. That variance can run all the way into April. Even May some years.

Tuesday was no exception. I saw the sun was out and my iPhone Notifications screen told me it was over 50°F outside. "Spring!" I thought. I made plans for a bike ride to the library. I was looking forward to writing my novel in the back of the library at the secret table everybody ignores. Unfortunately, the temperature had dropped to 43°F by 4:30pm, and I had a feeling riding my bike would be a bad idea.

Soon there was snow. Then there was lots of snow. Then there was a storm of it. I am so glad I didn't head out on my bike in nothing but a Spring jacket.

The snow continued to fall all night—so much so that each time I ran an errand I'd have to unbury my minivan before driving away. As I headed home after some midnight grocery shopping, I drove up the hill to my apartment. The road was white with Winter, and I was traveling at around 25mph and sliding.

Perhaps less than 75 feet from the TRAX crossing the lights began to flash red and the gates came down. I applied my breaks and was alarmed when my wheels stopped moving but my minivan didn't. As I slid towards the train tracks time slowed down for me. I knew that I would roll through the gates and onto the tracks in time to be hit if I didn't do something.

And I knew what to do.

I needed to crash my minivan before the tracks. I knew as sure as my name is Douglas that if I turned sharply left, then turned sharply right, I would fishtail sideways into the median strip. Then I did it exactly as I knew I could do. I stopped without damage to my minivan 15 feet from the tracks. Then I snapped a shot of the train as it passed by. I wanted to remember that moment.

What is remarkable to me about that moment is not that I almost died. My heart wasn't even racing. I was strangely calm about the entire experience. What is remarkable is that I had absolute faith in myself and my abilities. I'm a good driver and I handle myself well in the snow. I always have. I suppose I have good instincts for it. But I couldn't help but wonder why I wasn't like that in everything else.

Divorced. Laid off from two jobs. Hocking memories to make ends meet. Shocked by the death of Andrew Breitbart last week and how little I have accomplished in my 45 years on this Earth compared to his 43. And now faced with my own imminent death. As I've written before, traumatic moments have a way of shocking the mind into focus.

That's when I realized that I am far more depressed than I have allowed myself to admit. I may be fighting to survive, but it is an anemic effort fought with tired, half-formed fists and unenergetic swings. I am losing the battle.

I am lonely. I am dejected. And I have lost faith in myself. Faith in my art. Faith in my writing. Faith in me. I put on a brave face, but that's all it is: a veneer of a smile hiding my sadness. If I could write the way I saved my life, I would be a mighty writer, indeed. If I could have absolute faith in my drawing skills as I did in my driving skills, I would be a mighty artist. And yet I putter along without faith.

And so I write this on a cold, wintery night with not so much snow, and I am daring myself to think bigger. I am daring myself to stoke the fires of faith in myself where they have been snuffed out. I am daring myself to believe I deserve to be happy. I am daring myself to believe in the works of my own hands. If I can trust in myself to drive a minivan in snow, surely I can trust myself to drive my interests forward towards success.

Hey, all I need is absolute faith.

It is too soon to make predictions about myself. I am as volatile as Utah weather. Hot. Cold. Spring. Snow. I do not know how this is going to play out or whether something has changed inside me or not. I can be certain of one thing, however. Avoiding the accident as I did has planted a seed of faith in myself—a seed I am anxious to nurture and help flourish. If I have God to thank for this new epiphany, then I pray I am capable to handle the task. Learning to have faith in myself will be no easy undertaking. But avoiding the undertaker has helped me start down a different path than I was on Monday.

I've finally begun to believe it is going to be an early Spring.

On Rush Limbaugh and the Freedom of Speech and Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Thu, 17 May 2012 01:14:43 PDT

Yesterday I glibly responded to something blogger, Erica Joy, posted about Netflix. Perhaps I should have taken time to give a more thoughtful response.

People online weren't simply demanding Rush Limbaugh apologize—they were demanding he be silenced and removed from the airwaves. They cheered as advertisers fell one by one. I don't believe anybody's speech should be silenced, even if you disagree with them. Period. I was also troubled by the double standard since Rush isn't the only man who has used those terms on air. Those terms are used all the time in the entertainment world, and there are other misogynistic messages out there as well, especially in movies found on Netflix. A simple search came up with movies like Teeth and Sizzle Beach, USA (starring Kevin Costner) where women are reduced to sexual objects for men's gratification. These are only the tip of the gratuitous nudity iceberg found on that service. Yet Netflix is cheered instead when they announce they won't advertise on Rush's show. Yeah, they're such a bunch of saints.

Folks, if gender specific insults are intolerable, then they should be intolerable at all times, not just when conservative pundits use them. When you give liberal pundits or comedians a pass, or fail to clamor for their voice to be silenced as well, you expose yourself as biased and politically motivated. It makes a mockery of your message. It is as if you say "Free speech for me, but not for thee." As a father of four daughters I am troubled by the casual use of any gender specific insult on air, but I feel strongly that silencing a voice is *not* the way to encourage civil discourse, especially when that voice apologizes.

Please consider these liberal insights regarding this controversy:

Bill Maher: “Hate to defend #RushLimbaugh but he apologized, liberals looking bad not accepting. Also hate intimidation by sponsor pullout”

Kirsten Powers: Rush Limbaugh Isn’t the Only Media Misogynist

Double Standard on Media's Attack on Rush - Excellent discussion between Megyn Kelly and Kirsten Powers

Please prove you are more civil than Rush Limbaugh. Accept his apology and stop intimidation via sponsor pullout. Freedom of Speech can be ugly, but it is vital we protect it. It's not just there to bash conservatives. At the same time, lend your voice to discourage all incidents of gender specific insults. Civil discourse requires balance from all sides.

ADHD: Wicked Fast iPhone Photo ToDo Lists

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 01:27:42 PST

When I made the transition from paper to digital back in the 90s when Palm Pilots still roamed the earth and Man was preparing for the impending Y2K apocalypse, I said good-bye to that trusty old standby for ToDo lists: the pen & paper. It was all digital for me, and I was prepared to spend as much time as was required to get my very complicated repeating ToDos to beep on cue and sync with the desktop for security. It may have occasionally required hours to bang out syncing bugs, but I was living in the future, baby!

Now that I'm older and wiser and finished selling a box of old Palm Pilots and Sony Cliés on eBay for $20, I realize digital isn't always better, and I keep a pen & paper handy just in case. But I still love living in the future. I'm just smarter about it.

One smart trick I've come up with is to create fast ToDo lists by using my iPhone's camera when I don't have time to write items down. iPhones, smartphones, and most plain vanilla cellphones come with built-in cameras. That built-in camera is perfect for on-the-fly list making. Late for a meeting, but need to pop by the store on your way back to buy a few things? Snap a picture of them on your way out the door.

Don't be fancy. Don't launch your simulated analogue tintype app with 40 types of papers and variable temperature settings. Just snap, snap, snap! When you arrive at the store, open your photo album, go shopping, and delete each photo as you add the item to your cart.

You can group the items into one photo, or, as I prefer, run around the house and snap each item in its habitat. Don't worry about people seeing pictures of your toilet paper roll. You'll be deleting it within the hour. However, if you use cloud services and don't want to clutter up your stream with these ToDo photos, use a camera app that keeps its photos separate from the system roll. Camera+ on the iPhone is excellent for this. Just don't let yourself be distracted by its dizzying array of imaging tweaks.

There are apps (e.g. VisualList) that let you create complicated folders of ToDo lists & projects built entirely of photos, but I recommend sticking with your built-in camera for quick and dirty ToDo list making. With practice, you'll be surprised how quickly you can create these lists without picking up a single pad of paper.

Follow me on Twitter as @SplinteredMind. I also explore iPhone photography with Instagram as douglascootey (peek). And if you're a glutton for punishment you can friend me on Facebook as well, or find me on Path where I explore my coping strategy process with varying results..

Depression: The Best Cure Apparently Is Embarrassment

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:40:31 PST

Today I almost invited a girl to a play. Fortunately, I came to my senses. Not yet. Way too soon. There are a few things I need to get in order in my life before I start making room for somebody new. Here’s a sample of the list:

Achieve a gold platinum album with me playing favorite movie tunes on a penny whistle. Pan pipes optional.
Become a rich land magnate on the Moon, with virally bad YouTube infomercials.
Become translated.¹
Learn how to take a serious photograph.

Not necessarily in this order.

I must admit it is a work in progress, especially that translated part. Hooboy, will I get heat for my brony review. I have yet to see the fallout over that one. So instead of an awkward night on the town, I'll be watching "Arsenic and Old Lace" with my 13 year old. I couldn't be happier. And then I can focus on why I'm really there: to show my support for my friend, Heather Monson, one of the murderous old biddies.

As I struggle with Depression today, I am doing many things on my list to fight Depression off. I've exercised. I've sketched. I've organized my laundry and washed the dishes. I've made a fool of myself online. And yet Depression remains. Since I still have some fight left in me, I figure I'll blog, too. Maybe that will help me switch gears and feel better (or dig myself in deeper). And what better way than to discuss my charming new singles life!

I had asked one of the Elf's friends to cut my hair. He was studying at the local Paul Mitchell school in Sandy, and on a whim I thought it would be worth a shot. As he began removing tons of multi-colored hair that now included a lot of gray, the conversation moved onto the subject of dating. I talked about how I wasn't really ready yet and had promised myself I would wait until March 15th—the Ides of March and a bit over the six month mark—before I even considered it. Then I reflected on some odd conversations I had had with other single women and divorcees over the past few months and said aloud, "But I don't think the girls are going to be patient with me while I wait." I said it rather seriously, and with some nervousness.

But it sounded boastful, right? Yeah, I thought so too, so I changed the subject. Three minutes later there was a knock at the door. And I knew. It was a girl.

There I was with half my head shorn, hair all over my face, and a cute little cape around my neck. Unfortunately, the Elf was in the back room, so I asked her hairstylist friend with a nose ring and two snake bites to get the door.

"Is Douglas there?♪"

I know I'm healing because I thrilled to hear that, but what was I going to do? I felt like an idiot. How could I look cool when I looked like a half-trimmed hedge in drapes? Since there was no help for it, I opened the door wider and said "Hi!". Oh, the look in her eyes. It was my old neighbor who had moved to another building. She had brought over cookies for me and the girls. I assured her that the girls would get the cookies this weekend when they made the switch, and she, looking very awkward, let me get back to whatever I was doing and said "bye."

I went over to her place later to give my thanks properly, but that was a disaster, too. She had nine kids in her kitchen and I was terribly distracted by her little munchkin who looked from me to Mummy and giggled like Ernie on Sesame Street.

I am so very not ready for this. But I feel much better having written all this. So onwards with my day. And maybe with this picture I can check one thing off my list:

¹Mormon term for becoming a perfected being and being taken up to Heaven before the Second Coming, as happened to the denizens of the City of Enoch. It is not very likely to happen to me.

Follow me on Twitter as @SplinteredMind. I also explore iPhone photography with Instagram as douglascootey (peek). And if you're a glutton for punishment you can friend me on Facebook as well, or find me on Path where I explore my coping strategy process with varying results..

ADHD: The My Little Pony Review from Hell

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Thu, 17 May 2012 01:14:43 PDT

Here's a little story about distraction.

Having ADHD means that I spend a lot of time getting distracted, then getting back on task. Some distractions turn out to be cool, like my current middle grade novelette about a kid detective, and some are not so cool, like the urge to organize my books by color into a giant color gradient. I have learned to suppress the not so cool urges.

One urge I don't suppress is my occasional impulse to leave a cheeky app review on the iTunes App Store. I leave serious reviews for apps that impress me, but cheeky reviews for those that don't. I'm sure the app devs love them.

My latest review was inspired by the petulant 1 star comments left on the My Little Pony interactive ebook. You may not be aware, but there is a large fan base of 20-somethings who enjoy the latest incarnation of My Little Pony, created by Powerpuff Girls story writer, Lauren Faust. These fans, usually guys, call themselves bronies. Not all bronies are unhinged crazies. Many are very creative. Besides, have you seen football fans? But some of the angry reviews had the entertainingly embarrassing appeal of personal ads on Craigslist.

I had just purchased the ebook for my 10 year old My Little Pony fan. I opened the ebook and was immediately taken to a web page in mobile Safari instead that said "Thank you." The site was a marketing firm's site so I was a bit alarmed, especially considering the recent brouhaha over iPhone address book pilfering. I popped back over to the iTunes store to see what users were saying about the opt-in process. Instead, I found users angry at the app for another reason: there was no fan appeal for 20-something adults.

And so my distraction was born. Forgotten was my concern over the dodgy opt-in. Now I was inspired to leave a review:

Omigosh! I hate this app. How dare they make a children's app for a children's cartoon? Where are the sexy pics of frolicking ponies? Where is the slash fic? Don't they understand My Little Pony's true market is unmarried 25 year old men who still live with their mothers? Jeez…

Instead we got a cute interactive picture book with cut scenes from the movie and mini games to play that let kids collect items for their diary. Video cut scenes? What's up with that? This app took forever to install with my 28.8k baud connection. And the vids weren't even HD. Have some respect for us true fans. Who cares about the mysterious opt-in via Safari to a marketing firm's website? Where's our Canterlot cosplay cat house?

Like or raise a hoof if you agree.

I rated the app 4 out of 5 stars. Not sure if this is one of my finer moments, but I share it with you because I have received some touching but concerning emails from folks who are quite down on themselves for having ADHD. They haven't come to accept it as a part of them, but instead are focused on how Adult ADD has made life difficult. And because I blog about ADHD in a semi-lucid manner, some have put me up on a pedestal.

First, let me say "Thank you." I love the view from up here. However, give me time and I'll fall right off that pedestal. All you have to do is plan on seeing a movie with me and you'll want to brain me with that pedestal. Even though I am not (usually) late to movies anymore, my infamous tardiness has so scarred my friends that they feel we are late even when we are early, simply because I am there.

But forget about that. Look at what I wrote instead of working on my new short story about a kid detective. This wasn't a cheeky but therapeutic review to help me let off some steam. This was a gleeful distraction. It was fun to write, but I can't pretend it helped me get closer to the end of my novel. However, I'm not beating myself up about it. There is always tomorrow, and I'll especially stay away from the iTunes App Store when the sun rises.

Distractions happen. Stupid projects are begun. Focus is changed on a whim. This is the nature of ADHD. You can't always avoid it. Accept it as part of the problem, and learn how to compensate for it. And since distraction is going to happen again, learn to not beat yourself up over it. You will find laughter helps lift your spirits where you might otherwise feel stupid. And having a good attitude helps you bounce back and refocus much better than self-flagellation. Liking yourself despite your ADHD is key to overcoming the ADHD.

This is what I have learned over time, and it has helped me be happier and far more productive than any self-hate ever has. And besides, laughing at my mistakes instead of punching myself in the face has helped me become the cheeky git that developers world wide are thrilled to hear from. And then, when I finally publish a book, karma will send a cheeky git my way to make my day. See? It's all good.

Follow me on Twitter as @SplinteredMind. I also explore iPhone photography with Instagram as douglascootey (peek). And if you're a glutton for punishment you can friend me on Facebook as well, or find me on Path where I explore my coping strategy process with varying results..

Just How Dangerous Is Path Really?

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Thu, 17 May 2012 01:14:43 PDT

Considering that I recently posted a glowing review about the iPhone app, Path, the other day, I felt it was important to address the recent security hullaballoo that they created, even if it does wander a bit away from my usual topics.

There's a lot of FUD out there regarding Path. You can read the Gawker article on it where they set themselves up as bastions of integrity offended by the very existence of Path, or you can read the original blog article by Arun Thampi and Path's response.

As far as I understand things, in order for Path to see if friends and family of yours are on Path, they need to cross reference your address book with their database. Phone numbers and email addresses are how they tell one John Smith apart from another. It's how they know which John Smith to recommend to you. Where Path erred was in not letting people know this was how they did their matching magic. Also, they used a built in iPhone developer command to download the entire address book onto their server the moment folks signed up to the service. Whoops.

As convenient as this user search process is, it is unnerving to have family members' contact information on Path's servers. Many people weren't just unnerved, though. They became unglued. As is usually the case with online fury, there was a lot of saber rattling. I'm glad Path deleted that database as a gesture of good will. However, they could have created encoded hashes for each entry to make comparisons with, and not kept our data on their servers in plain text. With corporate servers being the happy playgrounds of hackers, people were right to be upset that their address book was residing somewhere on Path's premises. Of course, many of these same people used Facebook, Google+, and Twitter to voice their complaints. Many of these same people sync their address book to a cloud, whether iCloud or others. Each company has taken flack for privacy issues. Each one has access to their users' address books. The train has already left the station and Path's not at the helm.

As we all move online, I don't see how this type of info sharing is going to be avoided. And people staying with Facebook or flocking to Google+ isn't going to be the answer. Those services are hardly stalwartly examples of privacy ethics. Google+ is now integrated with your Google search results. You do realize that Google tracks your search usage, right? And Facebook just got themselves into hot water for allowing Politico unprecedented access to user info. Where is the mass exodus from Facebook over that one? Where there just not enough tech pundits complaining about it?

Short of turning off the internet and using stamps and envelopes again, perhaps what would be helpful is if companies stopped being cavalier with our personal data. On the iPhone, Apple should let us flag certain address book entries as private so that we have control over what information companies have access to. Does Facebook need to access my daughters' phone numbers to help provide me better social connections with them? Does Path need to keep a copy of my actual address book in order to help me connect with others on their network? Why on earth would Apple allow just anybody to request a complete download of our address books anyway?

Lifting the torches and clamoring for the heads of one company over the other won't solve this problem. The problem starts with the makers of our phones and computers. They need to give us tools to help us retain ownership of our data. Marketing data is a major driver of commerce. There is a lot of abuse out there, but there is a lot of harmless, even helpful use out there, too. Still, it's a tricky issue. I don't care if Smith's knows I buy a lot of Zone bars, but I would care if they had a dossier on which child of mine shared them with me. As consumers we like convenience, but privacy is still important to us.

As for Path, I will continue to use the service. It's stylish and beautiful—wrapping Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook all into one package. The new update gives us an option to opt out of sending our address book to their servers. You just won't be able to scan their user list and run a comparison with your address book anymore. In the future, though, I would hope Apple focuses on these issues. I'd like to see them address consumer security as efficiently as they've recently addressed enterprise security.

Follow me on Twitter as @SplinteredMind. I also explore iPhone photography with Instagram as douglascootey (peek). And if you're a glutton for punishment you can friend me on Facebook as well, or find me on Path where I explore my coping strategy process with varying results.

ADHD: Apple Reminder's Location Alerts To the Rescue

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:57:01 PST

Reminder utilizes iOS' notification system" width="470" height="704">

How many times have you driven out to do errands and forgotten to get something? It might be strawberries at the grocer while they are in season, or the paperwork from the school, or maybe you forgot to drop off something like the library books that are knocking around in your car. For me it was forgetting to check my blood pressure at the grocers every time I went there.

Need milk? Off I went. Back I came. No blood pressure checked. Need diapers? Same story. Time and time again I would head out to the grocers and return without a reading. Somehow I never remembered to add it to the shopping list, or I didn't check the list it was on when I was shopping.

Assuming you aren't trying to avoid the task, sometimes it would be helpful if something could interrupt your reverie right about the time you were nearby. That's where Apple's Reminder comes in.

First the bad news: I've run Reminder through its paces over the past few months, and have found it very lacking as far as ToDo list apps go. You can enter and check off tasks, and see what tasks you've completed. Scheduling a task can give it an alarm and lets you filter it from the other tasks when tapping on the "Date" tab. Functional, but basic, with too many taps needed for the extras. You can't even organize the list of tasks in any way, shape, or form. Schedule different tasks at different days, or change their priorities…they remain in the order in which you entered them. You can't even see what the priority of a task is without tapping on the task. But where the app shines is in location awareness.

Once I create a task, I can select it again to access the details menu. Tapping "Show More" gives you access to Priority and Notes. Tapping "Remind Me" gives you access to the alarm (which you can change by tapping on the default date it gives you), and the location reminder.

By default, Reminder assumes you want to have a reminder set for your current location. You can then choose to trigger an alert for when you leave or arrive. Want a reminder to bring along those library books before you leave the neighborhood? Tell Reminder to give you a holler when you leave your home. Want to remember to stop by the front office before unloading your groceries and getting busy with dinner? Tell Reminder to give you a holler when you arrive at your apartment. If you want to remember to pick up strawberries at the store, tap on the location field and add your grocer.

In practice I have found Reminder does a great job using the iPhone's built in GPS system. When leaving my apartment complex, Reminder will go off, giving me a chance to turn around and go get those stupid library books. When driving near the vicinity of the library, Reminder will remind me again. Very handy. Of course, if I am nowhere near the library, those poor books will just collect fines and damage in the back of my minivan. Whenever I go grocery shopping, tho, the blood pressure reminder goes off and I remember to do it. I find myself using Reminder solely for location based reminders. Compared to other ToDo list apps that try to be location aware, Reminder beats them all handily.

There are a few quirks in this version 1.0 app. Occasionally, Reminder freaks out when the GPS system gets wonky. I can be sitting there reading a book when Reminder, for example, alerts me to return the library books as if I've left the building. During those times it will also trigger arriving task reminders. I had five leaving alarms and three arriving alarms one day and they were all going off every few minutes. I was ready to throw my iPhone at a wall. Fortunately, that doesn't happen often.

The location awareness isn't quite good enough for malls unless you are actually traveling to it. If the shop you want to remember to drop by is too far away from road, sometimes the reminder will not activate. Also, reminders for routes that you travel faster than 40mph along aren't helpful when they go off after you've passed the exit or turnoff.

Lastly, the location field can't add locations that aren't in your address book. This is a severe limitation, in my opinion. I don't want to clutter up my address book with entries for every business that I hope to run errands at. Hopefully Apple will address this limitation in future updates and allow us to stick a pin on any location we want to trigger a reminder at. I can see this very useful for triggering reminders at parks and scenic locations where I like to draw or write, as well as temporary locations I don't ever plan on visiting again.

Overall, I find Reminder very useful in combatting my ADDled mind simply for its location aware alerts. I find them very handy, even with the v1.0 quirks. I keep my reminders down to one or two per location to avoid overwhelming myself, and have been "remembering" to do much more lately because of it. If you have an iPhone and have ADHD, you would be doing yourself a big favor by taking a few minutes to become familiar with this powerful reminding tool.

Follow me on Twitter as @SplinteredMind. I also explore iPhone photography with Instagram as douglascootey (peek). And if you're a glutton for punishment you can friend me on Facebook as well, or find me on Path where I explore my coping strategy process with varying results..

Walking in a Dreamworld

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Thu, 17 May 2012 01:14:43 PDT

I like to daydream a lot. Maybe too much. Where does the line blur between ADHD distraction and creative dreamer? I've spent so much time in that blurry domain that you would think I would be an expert at understanding it. Sometimes daydreams can become nightmares when they turn into ruminations of worst case scenarios, but often they just take me away from the drab, dun colors of reality.

I wish I spent more time daydreaming about my own writing. That's something I feel I should do more of. There are untold tales in my head that could be formed into compelling stories to be shared with others. That was what I was trying to do two weeks ago on a cold January night at 2:30am.

There I was, hiking along in my own world, thinking about what project I should be working on next, when I noticed to my right a part of my shadow was moving independently of me. It seemed to roil and bubble out of the corner of my eye. Not missing a step, as I was walking briskly to a snappy J-pop techno tune, I watched the shadow and studied it. I soon realized it was a field mouse running for its life alongside me, hiding in the darkest part of the shadow where the road met the curb. The poor thing was trapped between me and that tall curb and couldn't get away.

We walked along together for a bit, perambulating in the dark, before I decided to film it. Perhaps there was enough moonlight to capture this event, I thought. As I opened the camera app on my iPhone, though, I missed a beat for a mere step just as we came to a break in the curb, and my nocturnal companion was gone.

I took a moment to look around for it, but I knew it was in vain. What I experienced was pure happenstance and not likely to ever be repeated again. What I found most surprising was that I was not phased at all by the roiling, shifting shadow. I figured out what it was almost instantly. I was even a bit disappointed it turned out to be so mundane. But! I wasn't alarmed.

I was so deep in thought, so full of daydreamy notions, that I walked into the pages of a book and didn't notice. I don't know what I expected to find in that shadow, but it certainly wasn't an ordinary field mouse.

Follow me on Twitter for my ADHD escapades as @SplinteredMind. I also explore iPhone photography with Instagram as douglascootey (peek). And if you're a glutton for punishment you can friend me on Facebook as well, or find me on Path where I explore my coping strategy processes with varying results..

A New Path to Social Networking

noreply@blogger.com (Douglas Cootey) — Thu, 17 May 2012 01:14:43 PDT

With the launch of Path2.0 last December, I discovered a new love. Many tools have come out that allow one to crosspost to Twitter and Facebook, but they all felt a bit kludgy to me. Path had elegance and style, plus some flashy "Gee whiz!" features I absolutely loved.
The need to share feeds has been strong since Twitter came on the scene in 2006. After all, who has time to visit each social network? What? You do it anyway? Yeah, me, too. But we shouldn't. Haven't you heard? Time is precious.
There are many very stable and convenient ways to crosspost. Selective Tweets allows us to post to Twitter and share to Facebook with the simple #fb hashtag, but it steals four characters. Hootsuite is powerful but as user friendly as a Doc Smith's mind reading helmet. Better were tools like Twittelator that had a friendlier, more iPhone-like style. But all of them had one flaw for my ADHD brain: They were full fledged Twitter clients. Sure I could crosspost. I could also read everyone's feed, click on links, chat with friends, look at pictures, &c. They were great for Twitter usage, but lousy if you wanted to diminish distractions.

Path Still Lets You Participate in Other Social Networks

Path lets you crosspost to Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Foursquare but doesn't pull in those feeds. This is important because sometimes we want to still share what we are doing with others, but can't afford the time to be sucked into what they are doing. I realize this seems counter to what social networking is all about, but since I seem to be so weak willed, I really enjoy having my cake and eating it, too.

Type out a comment and tap on the networks you wish to share it with. As you can see from the graphic above, you can link other friends to your post, include your location, and even include a picture—all at once. I love it.

Path Is Quiet

Something about Path's interface makes it more journalesque for me. In fact, I find it a more intimate experience than Twitter or Facebook. All users' paths are private by default, unlike Facebook or Twitter. You must request friendship to be allowed into their world. They will think twice before letting you in because once they do, your world is shared with them as well. Path will show you who has seen your posts by silently adding their avatar in the emoticon menu, and they don't have to leave a comment. They can smile, wink, or express shock with a simple tap. The only loud aspect to this process is that you will be alerted to their comment in the iOS alert menu.

I suspect this sense of greater intimacy is due to the lack of outside noise. Although it is true that Path limits friend lists to 150 people, and it is also true that only a small handful of people follow me at the moment which certainly affects how quiet my stream is, there is no built in way to share links. This means that the power users of social media have been ignoring Path like the plague. Sure, you can copy and paste URLs in, but they aren't hyperlinked into the stream. And you can't copy them and paste them back into a browser. Path isn't about sharing websites or taking you out of the app. It's about sharing photos, music, and personal experiences. For me, I tend to explore the process of dealing with ADHD, Depression, and Insomnia more on Path than I do on Facebook or Twitter. (I welcome you to follow me on Path if that interests you.)

Tap on the Plus symbol at the bottom left corner and a slick animated menu opens up, giving you access to photo, friend, place, music, thoughts, or sleep sharing. Sharing music is perhaps the best implementation of it that I have seen, even better than Apple's built-in iTunes sharing on Twitter. Path will query your iPod or iPhone to hear what you are listening to, then offer you various versions of it to share with your followers. I find it seamless and use it often.

Wait. Did You Say Sleep Sharing!?

This is my favorite feature of Path. I can mark when I retire to bed and when I wake up. Since I am an insomniac, I have been using this to share my horrid sleep schedule and (lack of) progress at mastering my insomnia with my daughter. It makes me feel responsible to her and take managing my insomnia more seriously. Activating sleep mode cuts off access to the rest of Path. You see a running counter under the current time which is under an accurate depiction of the Moon's current phase. Tap Awake when you are finished pretending to sleep, and Path posts an estimate of how long you were "asleep", along with a glib comment depending on how long you pretended.
There is more to Path than I've covered, from commenting on folks' posts to just leaving quick emoticons to mark your notice. I probably didn't emphasize enough how gorgeous the interface is and how much fun taking photos with the app is. I wish it let me shoot in square format and crossposted to Instagram. That would be a big time saver for me.
However, the main focus today was to emphasize how useful this app has been in cutting out the distracting clutter while still allowing me to participate in social networks. When I'm done with being productive, I can always load up a Facebook or Twitter app and respond to people's comments there, but during the crunch time I am able to avoid those sites with their wonderfully distracting babble.
I highly recommend Path for those who want a stable, slick app to merely broadcast to social networks, or for those who want a more artistic social network that seems to encourage creativity and intimacy. The app is free, so give it a whirl and come on by.