All things come to an end.
Podcast #62 talks about how writing, recording, editing and producing the Practically Happy podcast has made me, Jim Matt, Practically Happy.
Length: 04:03
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Add comment May 8th, 2007
Trade, raid, then settle. That’s the order that works best when I act as a Viking while playing a boardgame.
Podcast #61 talks about how the game Fire & Axe: A Viking Saga makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 04:38
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Add comment April 17th, 2007
When my 19″ CRT gave out I needed a new monitor. I went big, and it came cheap(er than expected).
Podcast #60 talks about how my 22″ LCD monitor makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 04:40
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Add comment March 27th, 2007
I’ve found that I like games where I build things. In September 2006 I discovered an on-line game called Travian that makes me the king of my own kingdom and lets me build it from scratch.
Podcast #59 talks about how the on-line game Travian makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 04:19
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Add comment March 6th, 2007
Watching television is not my preferred method of entertainment. For the first time in memory, I’m actually tuning into 3 different programs each week.
Podcast #58 talks about why the shows Heroes, Medium and Naruto make me Practically Happy.
Length: 06:26
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Add comment February 13th, 2007
Santa delivered a foosball table (table top soccer) to my son Casey for Christmas 2006.
Podcast #57 talks about how playing foosball with Casey makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:03
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Add comment January 23rd, 2007
Reading and recycling are two things that are core to my character. BookMooch.com helps me do both at the same time.
Podcast #56 talks about how I can recycle my old books and get new ones using BookMooch.com, and how that makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 04:22
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Add comment January 2nd, 2007
Outdoor chores are still chores, and chores take time. Cutting up branches doesn’t happen too often, but once it does, it takes plenty of time to do with a handsaw.
Podcast #55 talks about the Black & Decker Alligator Lopper and how it makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:17
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Add comment December 12th, 2006
Lunch is my favorite meal of the day.
Listen to Podcast #54 to find out why lunch makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:12
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Add comment November 21st, 2006
Practically Happy is celebrating it’s first anniversary.
Podcast #53 talks about some of the behind-the-scenes show details, and how performing and producing the Practically Happy show has made me Practically Happy.
(It also talks about how listeners can become contributors. Click on the About tab for more details).
Length: 07:55
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Add comment October 31st, 2006
Keeping track of information electronically is made easier using free form databases.
Podcast #52 talks about the Note Studio and how it makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:16
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Add comment October 24th, 2006
Beer Camp is going up north and getting away from the ordinary life one weekend a year.
Podcast #51 talks about the camaraderie and fun that I have at Beer Camp, and how that makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:18
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Add comment October 17th, 2006
I like HIP things (hypocrisy, irony and parody). The form that gets HIP messages across quickly the best are cartoons, specifically, political cartoons.
Podcast #50 talks about political cartoons and how they make me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:27
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Add comment October 10th, 2006
Second chances are a precious thing when they turn out differently from your first experience. After a major disappointment with the original game Funkenschlag, I gave the tweaked version called Power Grid a second chance, and I’m glad I did.
Podcast #49 talks about the game Power Grid and how it makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 07:21
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Add comment October 3rd, 2006
Computer housekeeping is not my strong suit. Recovering hard disk real estate by cleaning up old and unnecessary files is made easier by utilities like SpaceMonger.
Podcast #48 talks about SpaceMonger and how it makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:48
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Add comment September 26th, 2006
The consumer digital photography revolution is nearly complete.
Podcast #47 talks about digital cameras how they make me Practically Happy.
Length: 06:00
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Add comment September 19th, 2006
Keeping track of your internet browser bookmarks can be a problem if you use multiple computers.
Podcast #46 talks about the Spurl.net, a social bookmarking website, and how it makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:13
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Add comment September 12th, 2006
One more tool in the fight against identity theft is encryption.
Podcast #45 talks about the PC and Linux program TrueCrypt, and how it’s container encryption makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:27
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Add comment September 5th, 2006
Saving pays off.
Podcast #44 talks about the game Saint Petersburg, and how it helps me practice life skills, which makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 04:54
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Add comment August 29th, 2006
Ubiquitous. Annoying, in the hands of some. Extremely effective at times.
Podcast #43 talks about how useful cell phones are, especially in an emergency, and how that makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 04:26
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Add comment August 22nd, 2006
Space is at a premium in my house. A king-sized bed was out of the question for some time, until I discovered how to get some dresser space from an unusual place.
Podcast #42 talks about the Anderson Ultimate Bed and how it makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:11
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Add comment August 15th, 2006
Blogs are a versatile communication method that can cover a wide scope of topics and uses.
Podcast #41 talks about blogs and how they make me Practically Happy.
Length: 05:19
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Add comment August 8th, 2006
Summer is hot. Slurpees are cold. Even though Slurpees are good any day of the year, summer is where they really hit the spot.
Podcast #40 talks about Slurpees and how they make me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:14
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Add comment August 1st, 2006
Train games have been around for years, and for me, they keep getting better.
Podcast #39 talks about my current favorite train game, Ticket to Ride, and how it makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 04:32
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Add comment July 25th, 2006
Portable storage has gotten smaller in size but larger in space, as well as cheaper.
Podcast #38 talks about my history with portable computer storage media, and how Flash USB Drives make me Practically Happy.
Length: 05:19
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Add comment July 18th, 2006
Recycling for me includes taking care of natural materials like grass clippings and leaves. A compost pile fits the bill, but getting grass and leaves into small pieces is the challenge.
Podcast #37 talks about the Flowtron Leaf Eater mulcher, and how it makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 05:08
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Add comment July 11th, 2006
Getting directions to places you’ve never been used to require either paper maps or directions, usually verbal, from someone who knows them. On-line mapping services have changed this.
Podcast #36 talks about free on-line mapping services, and how they make me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:27
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Add comment July 4th, 2006
Getting Things Done, a book by David Allen, describes how to build the framework for a system that helps you handle the details in your life. The system, and ideas in the book, make me Practically Happy.
Podcast #35 talks about the book Getting Things Done and how it makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 04:08
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Add comment June 27th, 2006
It’s the half-brother of another game that I love, done with cards instead of a board.
Podcast #34 talks about the game San Juan and how it makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:10
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Add comment June 20th, 2006
Sometimes you need the sound of computer silence … NOW!
Podcast #33 talks about several hardware devices that quiet my computer quickly, and how these devices make me Practically Happy.
Length: 04:28
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Add comment June 13th, 2006
I’ve always liked gadgets, but I’ve found that my Personal Digital Assistant is now indispensible to me.
Podcast #32 describes how my Palm Pilot makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 04:43
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Add comment June 6th, 2006
It seems like you only realize how important they are once they’re not working.
Podcast #31 describes how utilities make me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:22
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Add comment May 30th, 2006
Watching the movies that I want when I want makes me Practically Happy.
Podcast #30 talks about how NetFlix helps me get the movies I want when I want.
Length: 04:16
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Add comment May 23rd, 2006
Peace of mind through little pieces.
Podcast #29 describes how paper shredders make me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:27
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Add comment May 16th, 2006
New England is a game with a great mechanism –your bid is the price you pay for purchases that turn, as well as the turn order.
Planning and rolling with the punches of random draws make it interesting every time.
Podcast #28 describes New England (the game) which makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 09:14
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Add comment May 9th, 2006
26 Practically Happy shows have been posted prior to this one — a half year of podcasts.
It’s time for a report card. Listen to find out the status and what about making this podcast makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 06:42
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Add comment May 2nd, 2006
Sometimes you have too much stuff in your life.
In podcast #26 I talk about recycling items, and recouping some of the purchase cost, by using Ebay and Half.com — two on-line services that make me Practically Happy.
Length: 05:09
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Add comment April 25th, 2006
Working efficiently on a computer makes life much easier. With keyboard shortcuts, you can quickly execute commands.
Podcast #25 talks about keyboard shortcuts and the ActiveWords utility, which make me Practically Happy.
Length: 05:45
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Add comment April 18th, 2006
Walking is my main form of exercise. Almost everyone can do it, and it requires no expensive equipment.
Podcast #24 talks about some of the other reasons why walking makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:36
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Add comment April 11th, 2006
Puerto Rico is a game that has no random luck element — there are no dice or spinners.
It’s all about making choices.
Podcast #23 will describe Puerto Rico (the game) which makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 08:22
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Add comment April 4th, 2006
Identity theft is a serious issue, and one way to reduce your exposure is to use one time use credit cards.
Listen to podcast #22 to see how you’re exposed and see how I shield myself a bit, which which makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 04:59
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Add comment March 28th, 2006
Recycling is good for our planet and it’s good for a person’s sense feeling of well being.
Listen to podcast #21 to find out some tips on how I recycle, which makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 05:10
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Add comment March 21st, 2006
I first used Paint Shop Pro to convert some graphics back in 1996. My favorite use has become editing my digital photographs.
Listen to podcast #20 to find out what else about Paint Shop Pro makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:14
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Add comment March 14th, 2006
To help me keep my brain actively engaged, I play games. One of my favorite two player games is Lost Cities.
Listen to Practically Happy podcast #19 to find out why.
Length: 03:38
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Add comment March 7th, 2006
In America we tend take take some things for granted. Grocery stores are one thing that is typically taken for granted. After some reflection, I realize that they make me practically happy.
Listen to Practically Happy podcast #18 to find out why.
Length: 03:28
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Add comment February 28th, 2006
Spam is the bane of email. I use a variety of techniques to reduce my load, and one major element is Spam Motel.
Listen to Practically Happy podcast #17 to find out why.
Length: 04:40
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Add comment February 21st, 2006
To be truly protected while connected to the internet, you need a firewall. I use Zone Alarm — it makes me Practically Happy.
Listen to Practically Happy podcast #16 to find out why.
Length: 04:10
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Add comment February 14th, 2006
Reading is one of my main hobbies. I mostly read non-fiction; George R.R. Martin is one author that writes fiction which captivates me — especially his saga A Song of Fire and Ice.
Listen to Practically Happy podcast #15 to find out why.
Length: 04:38
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Add comment February 7th, 2006
I don’t like standing in lines for buying stamps or shipping packages. The United States Post Office has helped me out with this issue — its Automated Postal Center makes me Practically Happy.
Length: 03:32
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Add comment January 31st, 2006
Browsers are not the same — Firefox stands above the rest for me. Listen to the show and find out why.
Length: 05:14
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Add comment January 24th, 2006