Penny Wiseacre

Things I have learned in a month of writing So What, Who Cares?

As I've alluded to before, email newsletters are my day job. I believe in email as an editorial format*. There are ways to do it well. I wanted to do some after-hours experimentation with the medium and the format, both for personal and professional gratification. And that's how I ended up launching So What, Who Cares?

I've got a month's experience under my belt. I thought I'd share what I've learned here with you, who have patiently tuned in on other experiments I've done in the ongoing quest to Do Things Better.

Why Evernote is killing Pinterest

In the past month, I have pinned four things to Pinterest. I have saved 88 to Evernote. Obviously one of these cloud-based information storage systems is winning my mindshare, but I wanted to figure out why I had cooled on Pinterest.

Yes, Evernote isn't a one-to-one competitor or match to Pinterest. It's meant as a productivity app, while Pinterest is a social website. But the core competency of both is the same: Each is meant to be a means by which you easily store, sort and find data when you want it. So why am I using Evernote for everything -- how-tos, recipes, infographic storage, collections of tutorials -- and ignoring my Pinterest?

Off the top of my head, here are three reasons why my Evernote account killed any interest I had in Pinterest.

How to fly with children: Make a list, check it twice

If you ever want to feel bulletproof, I recommend completing a solo cross-country trip with a seven-month-old baby. Or try it with a 19-month-old who looooooooves to walk. I've done both, and enjoyed it.

(At left: the seven-month-old, distinctly unimpressed with the Five Guys at Dulles International Airport.)

Part of the reason is because the occasions gave me an excuse to make checklists and do some advance planning. And part of the reason I enjoyed the trips was because I had planned ahead.

Here are the general steps I take to keep from losing my mind with all the logistics of flying for two.