Rejection

The title sounds negative, but this is actually intended to be a positive post. Trust me.

A lot of people are afraid of rejection. A lot of people are really afraid of it. It’s understandable, because it can have some bad effects. It can cause embarrassment. It can hurt one’s self-confidence. But really, it’s not that bad, and it shouldn’t stop you from trying something.

One of my most effective methods in calming my nerves is the “What’s the worst that could happen?” exercise. I used it all the time in school before exams. If I was nervous, I would think about the worst possible outcome, and then consider how it really wasn’t that bad. With an exam, the worst thing that could happen would be that I would fail it. And that turns out to not be so bad, because it has very little effect in the long run. After some quick math, I could figure out if failing it would mean failing the course. The possibility of failing the course makes it a little worse, but still, it’s not so bad. It just means I’d have to take one more course the next semester if I needed the credits. So even when it comes to failure, think about it: Will you really care about that one failure next year? Will you even remember it in five years?

If you don’t try something because you’re afraid of being rejected, then you’ve already failed, because if you don’t try to do something, in most cases it’s never going to happen. You’ve done the rejection yourself. You won’t get what you could have tried for, which in the end is the same as trying for it and not getting it. But just by trying, you’ve increased your chances of success from zero or near-zero to at least a small chance. If I had not applied to Google because I thought I would be rejected, I would not be working there now. With the number of applications I had good reason to assume I wouldn’t get the position, but I also knew that by simply applying, I was increasing my ability to get hired. “You never know until you try” really applies in these situations, and in many cases, at least for me, not knowing is worse than being rejected. It’s worse, because you’ll always be able to wonder if you made a mistake by not trying. You could have had what you wanted, but you gave up on it. When you’re rejected, at least you know that the answer is “no,” and you can focus on trying for the next thing. The simple relief of knowing that it’s over may overpower any negative feelings caused by the rejection.

So if you’ve wanted to know if you can do something, my advice (follow at your own risk), is to go for it. No matter what the outcome, you’ll probably sleep better than you would if you just lie there and wonder.

The thing about the Internet

Here’s the thing about the Internet…

You think that you’re going to log out soon and be in bed in five minutes, because you are tired and want to get to work early tomorrow. Yet somehow, three hours later, you are still at the computer, watching instructional videos about how to do the moonwalk. And you don’t dance.

Let’s go fly a kite

Charlene flying a kite

This year at Google’s annual Summer Picnic, we all got our own kites as a gift, because Google is cool like that. We ran them through some extensive flight testing today at the kite flying area in Shoreline Park. After a tip from a kiteboarder to add more material to the tail, we had them flying high. Of course not everything was smooth sailing. Reid’s kite flew away, sending him and Charlene on a long journey to retrieve it, and they both got attacked by nature in the process. I don’t untangle knots, so my kite flew with a pretty big one. At one point, I had unraveled my line completely, and without realizing that it wasn’t tied to the plastic handle, let my kite fly away into a tree. And Koklynn’s kite got attacked by a huge kiteboarding kite, which Nelson had to go relaunch. Overall, I’d call the event a success. Thanks Char (kite expert) for organizing!

Soliciting geotagging advice

I’m out in Colorado right now and have been recording nearly all of my travels with an Amod AGL3080, a portable GPS logger which you can pick up for well under $100. It uses AAA batteries (including rechargables), and uses a standard USB connection to retrieve the log files. It’s tiny enough to fit inside the same pocket as my Canon SD1000, and also has a belt hook/strap allowing it to hang out of the pocket and easily accessible for explicitly marking waypoints.

To start logging, it’s pretty easy: simply turn it on. To stop, turn it off. A separate log file is generated for each power cycle. The batteries last long enough for an all-day excursion, so it’s probably best to just leave it on for the day.

The way it syncs up with photos is pretty similar to a lot of devices. You go around and take pictures. Your camera records what time they’re taken. At the same time, the GPS logger is in your pocket, and records where you are at particular times. Then, you put it all in the computer, which looks at what time a picture was taken, and where you were at that time, and figures out where the photo was taken. You can then add this location data to the EXIF data on each photo, which is understood by many popular photo services, allowing you to view your photos on a map.

What I need your advice on is software. The great thing about the Amod device I use is its flexibility. It shows up as a USB drive on any computer, and the log files are in the standard NMEA 0183 format, so it’s not tied to any specific software. The disk that shipped with the tracker came with JetPhoto Studio, and I upgraded it to the “pro” version to get all the features that make it actually usable, like the ability to write EXIF data. It’s fine and gets the job done, and even generates KML and KMZ files for Google Earth. However, the interface is a little confusing (and whoever wrote the messages isn’t fluent in English), and I haven’t found a great process for managing my files yet, since in the end I am importing them into iPhoto and/or Picasa Web Albums. Has anyone else used a Mac to geotag photos from a GPS log? I want the process to be as quick as possible so it doesn’t stop me from keeping up with organizing my photos, and I’m willing to pay for software. If you have a suggested workflow for JetPhoto Studio, I’m open to that as well.

Even though the process is a little annoying right now, I still love the idea and have already tagged nearly 250 photos from the past few days. It’s addicting.

Drinks

Submitted via the Personal Wyszdom request:

From: Leah
Is your favorite drink still a Gin and Tonic? You used to love them, as I recall.

I don’t really enjoy mixed drinks that much, but a gin and tonic is can be nice. If I’m drinking alcohol, I prefer red wine. Otherwise, I’m happy with Pepsi, water, or orange juice.

You didn’t ask for advice, so I’ll just give some anyway. If you’re at an event and you don’t want to drink alcohol, there’s an easy way to prevent the constant offers from people who want to get you something. Just go to the bar, ask for a Coke (or other soda), and have the bartender put a lime in it. Nobody will question you as long as you don’t drink it too quickly or from a straw.