A Recent Interview With David Simon, Creator of The Wire

A Recent Interview With David Simon, Creator of The Wire

Anyone who has watched it knows that The Wire is the most intelligent TV show ever created. It’s also full of memorable characters, delicious dialogue and brilliant performances. David Simon is, in many ways, the new Noam Chomsky. He tells us the truth about our society in a fearless, no bullshit fashion. He is our moral center.

Via the Guardian:

Writer and ex-crime reporter David Simon, who created HBO TV drama The Wire, speaks to John Mulholland about capitalism, Margaret Thatcher and how anti-drug enforcement has evolved into social control. Simon features heavily in Eugene Jarecki’s documentary The House I Live In, which explores the war on drugs in the US.




10 Steps To Being An Evernote Guru

10 Steps To Being An Evernote Guru

By day I’m a mild-mannered marketing consultant, but by night I have a secret identity – Evernote Guru!

cameron reilly evernote tshirt

Alright, well maybe not a guru, per se, but someone who gets a little OCD about Evernote. As everyone around me knows, my memory sucks (probably a result of my brain damage). I may have a hundred great ideas every hour, but if I don’t write them down, I lose them forever into the mists of my grey matter.

Enter Evernote. I’ve been using it since Sep 11, 2008 and it’s without doubt one of the greatest software applications of all time. I seriously LOVE this application. I love it in the same way I love my Macbook Pro, iPhone and iPad. I love it because it truly empowers me. It makes me smarter, more productive and more effective. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to do half the things I do. When a piece of software makes you twice as effective as you would be without it, you better believe you’ll love it.

Anyhoo… for the first few years I used Evernote, I didn’t really have a system or framework for how I worked it. I just used it as a big bucket to save stuff to. Most people I’ve met who toy with Evernote use it in the same way. AND THAT’S OKAY. One of the great things about Evernote is that it’s internal search capabilities are so powerful that you can quickly find notes based on the text inside of them. It doesn’t matter whether or not you have a filing system. Evernote will usually find your note in a few seconds.

However, if you really want to squeeze the most out of Evernote, it takes a little bit of effort to build some STRUCTURE and SYSTEM into it. I’m pretty sure that, like most things, there’s not single right way to structure Evernote, but after helping a couple of clients and my wife recently to set up their Evernote system, I thought I’d share mine as one way of pulling it all together. As you’ll see, I use a combination of Notebooks, Tags, and Applications to turn Evernote from a big storage bucket into a Doc Brown DeLorean time machine.

I know a lot of people say “I tried Evernote but I couldn’t get my head around it”. Hopefully this will help you get up and running.

STEP 1: Download Evernote Everywhere. 

Download Evernote onto your desktop, laptop, phone and tablet. The app itself is FREE, so just do it. In fact, the whole Evernote service is based on a freemium model where the apps are free, the basic account is free, and you only pay if you want more features or storage. I highly recommend getting the Premium service but there’s no need to rush into it. You’ll know when you need it.

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STEP 2: Build A Structure Of Notebooks and Tags. 

Notebooks vs Tags conundrum causes a lot of debates in the Evernote user community and I honestly think there’s a few different and completely valid ways to use them. Personally, I have tried a bunch of different combinations, and I’ve settled (for the moment) on this system.

Here’s how I think of Notebooks and Tags. Notebooks are like buckets. Tags are like stickers. Notebooks are large buckets where you’ll store notes that are related to certain areas of your life. For example, you’ll probably have notebooks called “Personal”, “Work”, “Family”, “Study”, etc. Under those notebooks, you can “stack” one more layer of notebooks, so under the “Personal” notebook you might have a few separate notebooks such as “Health”, “Finances”, “Life Goals”, etc.

my evernote notebooks

Tags are ways of connecting notes that have a common theme across disparate notebooks.

Another way to think about Notebooks and Tags is VERTICAL vs HORIZONTAL. Notebooks are vertical storage – one notebook per subject. Tags are horizontal – you can apply the same tag to multiple notes in different notebooks.

my evernote tags

I’ll explain as we go.

I recommend starting a new note inside Evernote and started mapping out the structure for your Notebooks. Create bullet points and start with the top level notebooks (Personal, Work, etc) and then think about the sub-notebooks for each category (Health, Finances, etc). Don’t worry about getting it perfect right now. You can improve the system as you go.

When creating tags, think of ideas or themes which might flow across different areas of your life. For example, I often save articles that I find online but want to read later into Evernote (instead of Instapaper or Pocket, I just prefer to have everything in one place). Some of those articles might be relating to personal issues, like health, and some might be work related. What they have in common is what I want to read them later. So I have a tag called “to-read”. When I save an article to Evernote, I will put in the appropriate notebook and tag it “to-read”. Later that night, when I’m ready to catch up on my reading, I can quickly pull up all of the notes with the “to-read” tag, and they will all appear in a list, regardless of which notebook they happen to be in. Why not just save them all to a new notebook called “To Read”? That’s one way of doing it but I’ll often want to save those articles for the long term in case I want to refer to them months from now. Having them in an appropriate folder makes them easier to find. I’ll often think “what was that thing I read ages about how to structure Evernote?” and a quick scan through my Evernote notebook will bring up the article.

A few tags I recommend are “task”, “to-read” and “to-buy”. The last two are self-explanatory and I’ll explain the first one shortly. Just set it up for now.

If you’ve been using Evernote for a while already and you have a crazy collection of notebooks and tags already there, don’t worry. Just set up these new ones for now and you can decide to delete, rename or merge the others later.

One more thing – Evernote will have created for you a basic catch-all notebook called “Username’s Notebook”. I recommend changing that to “!Inbox”. The exclamation mark at the beginning of the name is going to make it auto-sort to the top of your list of notebooks. This notebook is going to be your catch-all bucket.

STEP 3: Clean Up Your Inbox. 

If you’re starting fresh with Evernote, you can skip this step. But if you’ve been using it a while, you’ll likely have a bit of a mess. The inbox should be used like your email inbox – a catch-all that is kept empty. I believe in the “Getting Things Done” methodology of emptying your catch-all bucket once or more times a day and touching each thing once. That means you can dump anything and everything into your Evernote inbox and process it later. I recommend processing your inbox first thing in the morning and again at the end of the day. By processing, I mean looking at each note in your inbox and asking yourself the following questions:

Where does this belong? (As in, which notebook?)

What do I need to do about this? (e.g. does it require an action or do I just save it for later?)

If you’ve got a lot of notes already in your inbox, this process might seem daunting. But start slow and once you get the hang of it, you’ll tear through it quicker than you think.

While you might have lots of notes, they will all fall under a limited number of themes – personal, health, work, travel, etc – your notebooks. So start with the first note in your list and ask yourself “which notebook does this belong in?” Now you can go ahead and save it to that notebook but before you do, you might want to ask yourself whether or not there are certain keywords that might be common across other notes in your inbox which also should be filed into that same notebook.

For example, let’s say you have a note about a recipe. It’s likely that you will have other notes about recipes. So if you search Evernote for notes containing the word “recipe”, you’ll pull them all together. Select them all and then you can select “move to notebook” and move them all to the “Recipe” notebook (set it up first if you don’t have one created yet) in one hit!

evernote move to notebook

Repeat this process for each note sitting in your inbox and in a short while, you’ll have realized that a few smart keyword searches will pull together the vast majority of your notes.

Step 4: Keeping Your Tasks Organised

These days I also use Evernote as my task organiser. I’ve tried a bunch of different systems and apps outside of Evernote, but as Evernote is my second brain, it just makes much more sense to keep it all inside here.

First, I have a “task” tag that I apply to any note which is a task. That way I can quickly search

evernote task list with check boxes

across all of my notebooks to find tasks. I’ll talk more in the next section about how to save searches for quick recall. The key idea here is to tag your tasks. During my morning review, I will look at all of my tasks and then collate them into one big list.

Then I have a note template that I use to collate all of the tasks I need to work on today. I open it up in a separate window and keep it on one side of the screen. It sits in a notebook called “Pending” which is in a notebook stack called “Tasks”.

I transfer all of my tasks from individual note and email, etc, into this one note (the GTD daily review approach). That allows me to quickly run my eyes down the entire list and prioritise.

Every day I copy the previous day’s note and change the date (I actually use an AppleScript to automate that these days – email me if you want a copy). You could also just change the date on the same note, but I like to have an archive of what tasks I’ve been working on and which I’ve completed (in case I forget… I’m seriously like Guy Pearce’s character in MEMENTO… it’s a wonder I don’t forget my own name). Yesterday’s note is moved to the “Completed” notebook under the “Tasks” stack.

So to recap: saving notes with the “task” tag is a quick way of assigning a note as something that requires an action. When you do your daily review, you process that note and either copy the task into the Daily Tasks note or you decide to delegate it or archive it into a notebook.

Step 5: Using Shortcuts

A powerful tool recently introduced to Evernote is the concept of “Shortcuts”. You’ll find them listed in the top right-hand of the app.

Creating a shortcut is a bit of a clumsy mess at the moment (I hope they will address is in future versions), but it’s worth the effort.

evernote add search option

In Evernote’s search field, you have the option of creating quite complex search criteria. Look for the “Add Search Option” dropdown. It will enable you to select different criteria, such as notebooks, tags, content, source, etc. You can create searches that will find, for example, all notes created in the last week that don’t contain the “task” tag. Or all notes created from a web page that contain the word “psychopath” (I’m researching a book about psychopaths at the moment). To save these searches – and this is where Evernote is a little clumsy – you can to first create a search and then go to EDIT > FIND > SAVE SEARCH. The search will then appear in the dropdown section of the search field under “Saved Searches”. You can drag and drop that saved search into the “Shortcuts” section of the left-hand sidebar. Now, you can easily bring up that search at a later date. This is useful, for example, for finding all of your notes with the “task” tags.

You can also simply drag individual notes, notebooks and tags into the shortcut section. Once you start using it, you’ll find it dramatically improves your productivity.

my evernote shortcuts

Step 6: Using iOS Apps

One problems with Evernote on a mobile device is that it can take a little while to load. If you are in a hurry and you want to make a quick note on the fly, you don’t want to wait a minute to open Evernote, create a new note, tap the body of the field or take a photo, and hit save.

There are a bunch of Evernote-related apps for iOS that will make life easier. There are apps for Android and Windows Phone too, but as I don’t use either of those, I’ll stick to the ones I know.

The apps I currently use are:

QEver

– Quickly create Evernote memo
– Add reminders to notes, or create iCal events from notes
– Recurrent reminders: Daily, Weekly, Monthly

Everclip

+ Save texts and images from any apps by simply copying them
+ Make clippings from website, pdf, documents etc quick and easy
+ Work in background so that you don’t have to switch between apps

FastEver Snap

– FastEver Snap is a camera application that quickly and easily sends photos to Evernote.

These apps will help you get notes quickly into Evernote for later processing.

Step 7: Using IFTTT

IFTTT is a terrific site that enables you to connect a bunch of apps together, automating the sharing of data between them magically (okay there probably isn’t genuine, Westeros-level magic involved, but I don’t know how it works, blah blah APIs, who cares).

You can play around with IFTTT on your own time, but do yourself a favour and use this recipe for connecting Gmail to Evernote. If you get an email that you want to save to Evernote, just star it and IFTTT will automatically save it to Evernote for you. I love this recipe!

Step 8: Using the Menu Bar 

The recent update of Evernote for the Mac (I’m not 100% sure about Windows) puts a little elephant icon in your menu bar. You can use this to quickly jot down notes during the day. You can even drag files and images to it. Check it out.

Step 9: Using your Evernote Email Address

Everclip is my favourite way of getting stuff from my mobile devices into Evernote, but another way is to email notes directly into Evernote.  Every account gets a unique email address when you sign up. Add this address to your address book. Call it something like “My Evernote”. Then you can email websites, other emails, photos, etc directly into Evernote.

Another way I use the email address is with SIRI. See this post for more details.

Step 10: Using the Chrome Extension

Evernote has a powerful extension that you can add to Chrome which makes it totally simple to get webpages into Evernote.

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Well there you have it. As I said at the beginning, this is just one way, not the way to becoming an Evernote guru. Hopefully it will help some of you get more value out of the Evernote ecosystem. Please let me know if you have any questions or know of a better way of using Evernote, because I’m always learning.

PS I’d like to thank the various bloggers that I’ve stolen Evernote tips & tricks from over the years. Too many to mention but THANK YOU. If I’ve stolen one of your ideas and you want credit, just leave it in the comments and I’ll amend the post. Thank you also, of course, to Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote, (@plibin) and the Evernote team. Keep up the great work!

by Cameron Reilly

Starting Sunday Assembly In Brisbane

Starting Sunday Assembly In Brisbane

UPDATE 2013-11-20 – Sunday Assembly Brisbane is launching at the Brisbane Powerhouse THIS FRIDAY! Check out our new website for details.

UPDATE 2013-08-28 – We are well on our way to launching Sunday Assembly Brisbane in November! If you are interested in learning more about Sunday Assembly, join our Facebook group or email me

 

For years Chrissy and I have been talking about how we would love to be part of a non-religious community that meets to talk about their secular philosophy of life and join together to do “good works” in the community. Something that takes the good parts of religions (a sense of community, a sharing of ideas, getting together to help out each other and the needy in the community) and leaves out the bad parts (dogma, fear, bigotry, mythology).

So when we heard about Sunday Assembly a couple of months ago, we thought it sounded perfect and volunteered to start one in Brisbane. Last Saturday we had a chance to meet one of the founders, Pippa Evans, and she gave us more information on how it’s working in London and how she thinks we should start locally. The current plan is to put together a few people to join the organising committee with a view to kicking the whole thing off in a few months.

If you haven’t heard of Sunday Assembly yet, here’s the official description from their website:

The Sunday Assembly is a godless congregation that meets on the first Sunday of every month to hear great talks, sing songs and generally celebrate the wonder of life. It’s a service for anyone who wants to live better, help often and wonder more.

Watch this video by the founders, Pippa Evans and Sanderson Jones:

We have set up a Google Group where interested people can register themselves. So if you’re interested in being part of something like that, let us know via the Group and we’ll be in touch soon!

The Truth About Asylum Seekers & Australia

The Truth About Asylum Seekers & Australia

Over the last year I’ve gradually compiled interesting stats regarding Australia’s asylum seeker intake. I thought I’d share them for easy reference the next time you have a xenophobic friend or family member ranting on Facebook.

  • First and foremost – they are not “illegal boat people”. They are “asylum seekers”. Australia is a signatory to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Convention and Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, which means we have an obligation to treat refugees with respect and compassion.
  • An investigative team was sent by the UNHCR to Manus Island where Australia has sent asylum seekers, and has concluded Australia is not complying with its responsibilities under the Refugee Convention. The report found that conditions on the island are inadequate, no processing is taking place and detainees are left in a legal limbo.
  • The 1951 Convention specifically bars countries from punishing people who have arrived directly from a country of persecution (or from another country where protection could not be assured), provided that they present themselves speedily to the authorities and show good cause for their illegal entry. Monitoring (through reporting obligations or guarantor requirements) is often a perfectly viable alternative to imprisoning asylum-seekers.
  • Figures show that developing countries accept the vast majority of the world’s refugees, with Australia 47th on the list of host countries in 2009.
  • Of the 10.4 million refugees under UNHCR mandate between 2005 and 2009, the largest numbers were being hosted by Pakistan (1,740,711), Iran (1,070,488), Syria (1,054,466), Germany (593,799), Jordan (450,756), Kenya (358,928), Chad (338,495), China (300,989), Vietnam (339,300), Eritrea (209,200) and Serbia (195,600).
  • Australia was ranked 47th, hosting 22,548 refugees between 2005 and 2009 (0.2 per cent of the global total).
  • Australia was 68th on a per capita basis and 91st relative to national wealth.
  • The industrialised countries with the largest number of asylum applications in 2009 were the United States (49,020), France (41,980), Canada (33,250), United Kingdom (29,840), Germany (27,650) and Sweden (24,190).
  • Australia was ranked 33rd for total asylum applications with 6206 new applications in 2009.
  • It was 41st on a per capita basis and 71st relative to national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
  • When an asylum seeker arrives in Australia, they do not get any Centrelink benefits. While their status is being processed, and if they meet certain criteria, they can be eligible for financial support from the Asylum Seeker Assistance Scheme, administered through the Red Cross. This amount is 89% of the basic Centrelink allowance. This means approximately $405.84 per fortnight – over $260 less than a pensioner. For an asylum seeker to qualify for any payment under the Asylum Seeker Assistance Scheme, they must have lodged an application for a visa 6 months before, not be in detention, and not get any other payment or benefit.
  • Once an asylum seeker is recognised as a genuine refugee, after a long and highly scrutinized process, they are given permanent residency and are then entitled to the same Centrelink, schooling and health benefits as anyone else. No more, no less.
  • To get a permanent residence as a refugee, the person has to prove they are a genuine refugee fleeing persecution, go through character, security and medical tests, and sign an Australian Values Statement.
  • Since 1998, according to the SIEV X Committee, it looks as if well over 1000 asylum seekers have drowned trying to reach Australia. Their blood is on the hands of those Australian political leaders who have demonised, vilified, incarcerated, offshored and re-fouled refugees rather than massively increasing the intake and processing asylum seekers quickly in Indonesia and Malaysia to bring them here safely.
  • Department of Immigration data shows 88 per cent of asylum seekers who arrived by boat in 2009-10, including those who were initially rejected, have been found to be refugees and now have a visa. Sixty-eight per cent of those arriving in 2010-11, including those initially rejected, also have a visa. Final approvals are expected to be higher as half of these people are awaiting review.

My thanks to the bloggers and journalists who compiled this data.

Sources:

http://www.blogotariat.com/node/553224

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1294102/At-a-glance-Who-takes-the-most-asylum-claims

http://www.smh.com.au/national/most-asylum-seeker-rioters-turned-out-to-be-refugees-20120306-1uief.html