Disqus - Latest Comments for rsirvine

Re: Why Your Friends Who “Eat Whatever They Want” Are Liars

Ryan Irvine — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:26:57 -0000

I think the only demographic immune to conventional wisdom with respect to health is alcoholics. There are functional alcoholics who go to work on time and don't beat their kids, and then there are absolute friggin' train wrecks. The difference is basically a coin flip inside the womb, and yet one group will end up living into their 90s somehow. Everybody else has to play by the same rules.

Re: On The Zappos Sale: Why Merger Promises Are Almost Never Kept

Ryan Irvine — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:32:56 -0000

Well, you were with FeedBurner when it was acquired by Google, weren't you? Or did you start after that happened?

Re: On My Former Manager’s (Metaphorical) Balls

Ryan Irvine — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:09:09 -0000

You're right on, re: honesty, by the way.

Re: On My Former Manager’s (Metaphorical) Balls

Ryan Irvine — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:07:18 -0000

You're right, there's a fine line between overselling and being a douche. The key is figuring out how to tiptoe it.

It starts by knowing there's a time and a place. For instance, interviewing for a low level job at a big corporation is not the time to be ballsy. This guy was interviewing with people high enough up that it mattered.

It can backfire, too. I had a really ballsy interview once and got a job that I was probably under-qualified for. I ended up being able to do the job just fine, but it turned out that I HATED DOING IT. My work ethic suffered, and my manager noticed this. When I left to take a different job, he remarked about how great my interview was and how I never really lived up to it. (He even compared me to Drew Gooden, who is a former Cavs player who failed to live up to his potential. That stung.)

Re: There Is Such a Thing As Too Much Protein

Ryan Irvine — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:00:21 -0000

P.S. I really admire what you guys do over there. I'm not a fan of "tips" websites, and the approach you guys take is a nice change of pace from that.

Re: There Is Such a Thing As Too Much Protein

Ryan Irvine — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:57:25 -0000

Hey, Mac. I know you were just trying to help, and I don't mean to make you out as my straw man here. I did not mean to make my mention of you the crux of my point, either.

I know you were just quoting a newspaper, and everything you're saying is pretty much spot on.

I'm just weary of any dietary advice that advocates eating more of anything.

Re: That Thing You Do

Ryan Irvine — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:26:39 -0000

I'm glad to hear, that. I really am. Much of what I've tried to do thus far is not so much give advice (there are too many "tips" websites already) but really give people some ideas to chew on, and hopefully, something they can relate to.

Re: Your Urine Can’t Show a History of Financial Negligence

Ryan Irvine — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:39:29 -0000

Geography plays a part, too. Here in Cleveland, at least back when ttimes were good, companies didn't have the liberty of only attracting "top talent" because there were more openings than applicants.

Re: Your Urine Can’t Show a History of Financial Negligence

Ryan Irvine — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:37:00 -0000

Still processing your second point, but your first point is definitely onto something. Places that require drug tests typically have a history of costly mistakes stemming from the hiring of lesser talent to begin with. Places that only bring in top talent don't have to worry about this...

Re: On the Agony of Explaining to Your Family What You Do for a Living

Ryan Irvine — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:09:16 -0000

By the way, two of the first ten comments on this blog were from you and Seth Godin. I also got a tweet from Pam Slim.

I should just shut down right now. It's not going to get any better.

Re: On the Agony of Explaining to Your Family What You Do for a Living

Ryan Irvine — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:08:00 -0000

That's a good suggestion and something I should work on. My friends and relatives 45 years or younger totally get it; it's really a generational divide beginning with the baby boomers.

And hey, at least you published a NY Times bestseller. I can only imagine before that, explaining to older people not only that you were a writer, but that you were a writer on the Internet. Oh man.

Re: On the Agony of Explaining to Your Family What You Do for a Living

Ryan Irvine — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:25:12 -0000

Mine wants to know why Google Toolbar is screwing up their Internet Explorer.

Re: What Is “The Dip,” and How Does It Apply to Fitness?

Ryan Irvine — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:42:30 -0000

Damn. My first comment and it's from Seth Godin. It's only downhill from here, folks.