43 Folders

Back to Work

Merlin’s weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.

Join us via RSS, iTunes, or at 5by5.tv.

”What’s 43 Folders?”
43Folders.com is Merlin Mann’s website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.

Everyday tips from MonkeyFilter

MonkeyFilter | Everyday Tips

An assload of handy (and sometimes hilarious and asinine) everyday tips. Some NSFW. Here’s a few of my faves:

  • When you drop a small object, like a pill, DO NOT flail about trying to catch it; instead stand still and watch it land. Half the time trying to catch it means it bounces off you in some bizarre direction, or that you don’t see where it actually goes.
  • Keep an old blanket in the car. It can be used for spontaneous picnics, sleeping in rest areas, and covering up the random homeless person who looks cold.
  • To kill off weeds between bricks or in the cobblestones on your street, mix half-and-half white vinegar and cheap dish detergent and squirt it in the joints.
  • Hot water in a spray bottle will get most small bugs off plants, such as aphids.
  • A two-liter soda bottle can be used to keep celery fresh. Cut off the top and put a little water in the bottom, then stand the celery stalks in it in your fridge. Use the cut-off top as a funnel to fill your spice jars with bulk spices (way cheaper than buying them in bottles) - the mouth on a two-liter is about the right size for smaller jars.
  • If you have to leave something (luggage) unattended and don’t want it stolen, try drawing a large chalk circle on the ground around it.
  • Separate your laundry into their respective washload piles (whites, warm colors, cold colors, whatever) when you take them off, so you don’t have to bother on laundry day.
  • When waiting for the tube, look out for the faded white line along the platform edge - it’s more worn cos that’s where most of the doors end up stopping.

[Link: John Bergmayer]

At the coffee shop I... by Evan "JabberWokky" E. (not verified)
I'm not sure I understand... by Joey Horne (not verified)
Thanks for the link, I... by Kolja (not verified)
The "circle around it" phenomena... by Michae (not verified)
Michae - yep. That's... by Evan "JabberWokky" E. (not verified)

About Merlin

Merlin's picture

Bio

Merlin Mann is an independent writer, speaker, and broadcaster. He’s best known for being the guy who created the website you’re reading right now. He lives in San Francisco, does lots of public speaking, and helps make cool things like You Look Nice Today, Back to Work, and Kung Fu Grippe. Also? He’s writing this book, he lives with this face, he suffers from this hair, he answers these questions, and he’s had this life. So far.

Merlin’s favorite thing he’s written in the past few years is an essay entitled, “Cranking.”

 
EXPLORE 43Folders THE GOOD STUFF

Popular
Today

Popular
Classics

An Oblique Strategy:
Honor thy error as a hidden intention


STAY IN THE LOOP:

Subscribe with Google Reader

Subscribe on Netvibes

Add to Technorati Favorites

Subscribe on Pageflakes

Add RSS feed

The Podcast Feed

Cranking

Merlin used to crank. He’s not cranking any more.

This is an essay about family, priorities, and Shakey’s Pizza, and it’s probably the best thing he’s written. »

Scared Shitless

Merlin’s scared. You’re scared. Everybody is scared.

This is the video of Merlin’s keynote at Webstock 2011. The one where he cried. You should watch it. »