Mike Vardy

What the #%$! Happened to Lifehacker?

I used to be an avid reader of Lifehacker. Back when Gina Trapani ran things, I got a lot out of the site. In fact, it’d be one of the places that helped get me into this whole productivity racket. That site, along with Merlin Mann’s 43Folders and David Allen’s body of work were the […]

An Artificial 23 Minutes

I have 23 minutes to write this before my MacBook Air needs to charge. I have 23 minutes to thank my wife for understanding my need to grow a Hodgman-esque moustache during the month of Movember. I have 23 minutes to watch a little bit more pro wrestling history online while giving this entry the

Captain Randy’s Got Me Thinking

October is still here and November is just around the corner. Most of us aren’t thinking much further ahead than the holiday shopping season right now. But Randy Murray over at First Today, Then Tomorrow has a better idea: Start planning for 2012. Now. He’s launched a series of posts designed to get you moving

Impressions: YYJFreelanceCamp

This past weekend I spent my Saturday amongst some of the finest freelancers in Victoria. We were al hanging out at YYJFreelanceCamp. We gathered at InHub, Victoria’s coworking space — which is a centrally-located venue where freelancers can escape their slippers and get some real work done outside of the home. I’m going to start

Keynoting at WordCamp Victoria 2012

Before I spend a post later on wrapping up my impressions of YYJFreelanceCamp, I’ve got a brief announcement to share with you. I’ve been asked to deliver a keynote at WordCamp Victoria 2012. While I’ve spoken at past WordCamp Victoria events (and sat on a panel last year), I’ve yet to keynote one. I’m excited

The Next Steve Jobs?

On a recent episode of 5by5’s Build & Analyze, Marco Arment suggested that there may not be anyone at Apple who could necessarily carry the torch for Apple that Steve Jobs did: “It takes somebody at the top who has a lot of authority and a lot of sensibility and a strong vision of what

Steve, Jack and Andy

I’m sitting here on a Sunday evening watching the memorial service for Steve Jobs, and it brings me back to thoughts I had over the past several months about those who are no longer with us. While Steve Jobs was no Jack Layton, so it can be said that Jack Layton was no Steve Jobs.

Freelance Camping: It’s Good for You

This Saturday I’m heading off to YYJFreelanceCamp, which is an uncoference of sorts being held at the new InHub coworking space in my hometown of Victoria, BC. What exactly is YYJFreelanceCamp? Well…it’s: “…a space where you can meet local freelancers, solopreneurs, small business owners.  Learn from their experience, and offer your own words of wisdom.

A Place of My Own: The Valden Project

I’d like my own personal house for writing. A place of my own. So My friends and I are going to build one. After putting it out to the Twitter as to whether or not going with an in-house office or one outside the walls of our house, the consensus was the latter. I’d already