Web Quotes and Counterpoints V

It’s been too long since the last edition of Web Quotes and Counterpoints so here’s the latest quality chatter from around the web.

• Justin from LifeofJustin writes about a random adventure on the USC campus in Parking Lot Drinking at USC. Justin is spot on in describing USC as a movie-esque experience,
  

  What I concluded from this experience, is that I should of went to college at USC. The place is amazing and reminds you of all the movies you see that take place on college campuses.

Really makes me wonder why I transferred from USC…something about new experiences and getting out of the grime of downtown Los Angeles?

• Long time readers here know of my appreciation for the skills of Jay from Scribbles & Words but for you newbies, check out this great, quick tutorial from Jay about how to highlight text using only CSS.

Rather than a quote, here’s how a grey highlight looks.

• Random breaks occur on this blog as I tend to life first but I’ve learned to warn users, or at least put a quick message letting you know I’m still here. Jarko’s tips over at North x East gives a few reasons for taking a break from blogging and how to correctly do so. One of the tips is to save posts for a rainy day, which I already do (perhaps a bit too much with nearly 70 draft-posts). Jarko is right on about why to take a break when he states:
  

  …most importantly, the time away refuels your passion. After a few week’s break you are filled with new energy to pursue your goals with new determination and power.

  Each time I’m away from this blog tons of ideas come flowing to me that otherwise I don’t think of. Some of these ideas get implemented and some don’t but letting myself get away from a schedule and allowing my mind to wander certainly makes writing here much more enjoyable.

• All of us have a fight or flight instinct that controls many of our basic functions. This instinct derives from our ancestors having to quickly decide whether they could realistically succeed in a fight or if they should flee and fight another day. Marc from MarcandAngel discusses how to flee like a Bushido Samurai warrior.

There’s some great tips in Marc’s list, my favorite among them is:

Trust only those who have earned it. Be wary of those who have not.

Though it seems like common-sense, many of us throw our trust around to anyone and everyone within range. I tell this to people all the time, before you trust someone you should ask why you should trust them. Are they trying to sell you something or persuade you in some way? If so, most likely they should not be immediately trusted.

• Finally, Daniel from Daily Blog Tips wrote about Larry Page, one of Google’s founders, and Larry’s advice on how to change the world, a theme here this week. Daniel sums up Larry’s advice quite well:
  

  If you want to succeed on the web, you will need to let your fear of failure go away, and to try new and innovative things.

  Though Daniel frames it in terms of a web business, his advice applies to life in general. If you fear life, then sadly you’re already nearly dead. In the end, I’d rather die young but doing something I enjoy rather than dying of old age having successfully run away from anything that might be dangerous.

  I’m sure many of you have had similar thoughts but fear is a powerful emotion. Grasping that emotion and facing it head on is a thrill and can be used as energy to pursue any goal you have. Once you conquer your fears, they will go away and you’ll become more free.