TL;DR: The calendar is the vessel, not the inbox. According to my email service, I receive approximately 1 non-spam message for every 4 spam messages. Everyday 400 obviously unwanted messages are destroyed for every 100 allowed through. Many of those 100 are easy enough to delete as well. Over the course of any given day, …
Author Archives: Garrick van Buren
Homegrown Hops 2013
Today, April 5, I planted 6 hops rhizomes (2 each of Chinook, Willamette, Cascade) on the south side of the house, a few inches down in a compost/manure mixture and covered in mulch. This is my third attempt at growing hops at home. The first year nothing came up. Last year, half the rhizomes broke …
Intro to eBooks for Journalists and News Publishers
“ebook” is shorthand for at least 3 different file formats: PDF (you’re likely familiar with this one), it’s been around for 10+ years and almost all devices and browsers can render a PDF. Publishers have a great deal of presentation control in a PDF but PDF renderers on mobile devices aren’t very sophisticated – making …
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Yanking the Receiver
The Current is launching a new stream dedicated to music from Minnesota’s north shore. Online only stream.This stream is in addition to their primary stream, their MN local stream, their kids stream, and the American Heartland stream. That’s 5 streams. Only one of which has an over the air presence. Which means, today, 80% of …
The Uptake Applying for a NewsChallenge Grant Based on Our Collaboration
Friend and client, The Uptake, has applied for a Knight NewsChallenge grant based on the our collaboration connecting Twitter messages and their video editing software.
Both are Very Peaceful Countries – But They’re Still an Ocean Apart
BBY Cleaning out the Fridge
On Thursday, I wrote this: “For years Best Buy has sold and installed car stereos. Though, it’s never felt like they really cared about that part of the store (same for home appliances)” In today’s STrib, there’s a feature store on how Best Buy is focusing on the larger, higher margin home appliances, in a …
Quiet Days are the Second Hardest
TL;DR: Over the past year, I’ve been trying to increase the routine and rhythm in my day for one primary reason – increase and improve creative energy. Essentially, reduce my daily cognitive load for daily tasks thereby increasing the chances of ‘shower thinking’ throughout the day. Everyday, immediately after I step out of the shower, …
Best Buy Should Partner with Jiffy Lube Next
My last engagement with Best Buy concluded 4 years ago – and even then it was an organization under a radical transformation. These challenges have only increased in the past year. Additionally, many of digital savvy members of Best Buy’s leadership have left. Yet, I’m still quite optimistic for BBY’s future. I still think Best …
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[UPDATED] The Business-to-Business Sales Tax Discourages Investment in Minnesota
Update 8 March: Victory! – Dayton drop b2b sales tax proposal This morning at the MHTA legislative action briefing, I heard many stories of Minnesota based companies planning out-of-state moves and employment changes ahead of Governor Dayton’s proposed business to business sales tax. Here is the message I sent the Governor, my state senator, and my …
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