New Numa

and the original numa

Quote of the Day: Starting Out

Another quote regarding the learning curve. To get into something new you have to start as a neophyte and work your way up.

Quote of the Day:

From Stradivari's Genius, as Tony Faber describes Johann Salomon giving violin lessons to King George III.


When the king asked his teacher how he was doing, Salomon is said to have replied: "There are three levels of skill in violin playing: an inability to play, the ability to play badly, and the ability to play well. Your Majesty, I am pleased to say, has already reached the second level."


I'm pleased to say that I've probably reached George's level, too.

And, I think the sentiment probably applies to many skills. And that's what makes learning difficult things fun...

Ecto test

Testing post capability

Technorati Tags: attitude

Lots of Good Advice from Benjamin Franklin

I love quotes because they can be like good jokes - they can make you look at things from a different perspective and maybe even laugh.

The following quotes from Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) US statesman, diplomat, inventor, and printer make me want to read a good biography on his life.

• He that waits upon fortune, is never sure of a dinner.

• He that lives upon hope will die fasting.

• Laws too gentle are seldom obeyed; too severe, seldom executed.

• There is a difference between imitating a good man and counterfeiting him.

• Happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occur every day, than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom to a man in the course of his life.

• If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.

• Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one.

• To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions.

• If you would be loved, love and be lovable

• Fear not death, for the sooner we die the longer we shall be immortal.

• A man is not completely born until he is dead.

• A penny saved is a penny earned

• I will speak ill of no man, and speak all the good I know of everybody.

• Joy is not in things! It is in us!

• Anger warms the Invention, but overheats the oven.

• They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety.

• While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us. (Sounds like the first Covey principle)

• Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame.

• God heals and the Doctor takes the fee.

• Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards.

• Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?

• Be civil to all, sociable to many, familiar with few, friend to one, enemy to none

• Remember that time is money.

• Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!

• I will speak ill of no man, and speak all the good I know of everybody.

• Nothing in life is certain except death and taxes

Technorati Tags: puppy

You have got to try

You have got to try as its the first step towards failing and ultimately succeeding.

Zap Electric Car

Electric cars are becoming trendy and more practical especially for the daily commute.

http://www.cnettv.com/9710-1_53-23157.html?id=23157&tag=nbbc_mrss
Interesting statistics in the video about the typical use of second vehicles and how this can be met with electric cars.

Paul Brandt & Samaritan's Purse

Paul Brandt was in Ottawa yesterday as part of the Operation Christmas Child tour generating some more good publicity for Samaritan's purse.
They had a segment on the CTV news showing him loading a truck with shoebox gifts on parliament hill from people like PM Stephen Harper's wife Laureen. Similar to his stop in Edmonton , he talked about his trip to Cambodia where he gave out shoebox gifts directly and saw how excited kids are when they receive them.

Listen to A Gift and Christmas Convoy theme songs associated with this work.

Disclosure: My mother work's at Samaritan's Purse and I am proud of the work she does there. It is a good cause.

Test of Blogger with Ecto

This is just a quick test to see if the interface is operational again.

Test of Blogger with Ecto

This is just a quick test to see if the interface is operational again.

Car of the Future

Wired magazine had a feature on hydrogen fuel cells for cars a while back but this video provides a much better idea about what the car of the future will be like. Not difficult to imagine the possibilities for rent a car agencies and swap shops to put different bodies on the main car "skateboard". Need to go back and refresh on what the Hydrogen gas station would be like.

• What is the pump like? Hydrogen made from Zinc and steam
• What's the mpg? target of 80 mpg
• How much will it cost? too soon to tell but then with regular gas prices going up anything might seem cheap

Problems:

• Because fuel cells are wet inside, they tend to freeze and stop working in cold weather.
• Because they are delicate, they aren't suited for bumpy roads.
• Because they require rare metals such as platinum to coat their membranes, they are expensive.

Interesting that some Canadian companies are at the forefront:

• Ballard Power Systems hydrogen fuel cells from Vancouver
• fuel cells made by Hydrogenics of Toronto

Better practice your video games so you will know how to drive.

GM Hydrogen car

Orleans_Fox

Orleans_Fox, originally uploaded by Glen Sharp.

Our back yard is a real nature sanctuary for us and well ... nature. We have had rabbits, marmots, preying mantis, squirrels and now this red fox. Too bad I couldn't get closer for a clearer shot.

Technorati Tags: Nature

With Great Power ...

"With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility"
--Uncle Ben to Peter Parker in Spider-Man

Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words: "With great power comes great responsibility." This is my gift, my curse. Who am I? I'm Spider-man.

This does not just apply to power - it could also be said of talent, potential, opportunity, or other gifts that can be applied to make the world a better place.

Interesting thought is that when you are (constructively) criticized it is actually a compliment since it means the person has expectations that you can do better and provide a solution. You haven't been written off - you matter. The more (potential) impact you have the more criticism you can expect to receive.

This is similar to the business truism that you should appreciate even negative customer feedback since the alternative is that the customer is so dissatisfied that they just go elsewhere and don't even give you the opportunity to make it right.

To whom much is given, much is expected
-Luke 12:48

We expect those endowed with a gift - be it artistic, intellectual or circumstantial - to cultivate that gift and use it as a vehicle for excellence in life.

Man in the Arena

It is better to try.
This is one of my favorite quotes:

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt
"Citizenship in a Republic,"
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

That's life

Yesterday I learned from Guy Kawasaki's blog that an annual conference called TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) was now making its presentations public as videos on the Internet. For an event whose intent is to get the best and brightest together to share ideas about doing good it seems only fitting that they spread the word instead of keeping it within an exclusive club.

It is recommended that you watch three related videos to get different perspectives on a given topic like religion and spiritual beliefs:

Rick Warren is a Pastor who wrote a bestselling book called The Purpose-Driven Life. He makes a compelling case for finding your purpose. "What is in your hand?"
http://www.ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=r_warren

Dan Dennett talks about living the purpose driven life while having all the facts about the world's religions
http://www.ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=d_dennett

Julia Sweeney takes a lighter approach on her experiences reaching the age of reason in relating to God
http://www.ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=j_sweeney

Bonus

Majora Carter is passionate about Sustainable South Bronx urban renewal
http://www.ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=majora_carter

Al Gore, who I really admire, is spreading the word regarding global warning and his documentary An Inconvenient Truth
http://www.ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=al_gore

New videos are being released each week so you may want to subscribe to the distribution list for new videos if you liked these.

Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal

On Wednesday July 19 I went to Montreal to check out the Just for Laughs comedy festival and I was really impressed.

Lots of fun stuff happening all around and we really enjoyed the show Bubbling with Laughter at Club Soda.

Flooding in Orleans

Several feet of water on the street during a flash flood in Orleans July 3 2006.

It was interesting to see cars trying to go through the water even after seeing other cars stalled ahead of them.

The Internet Soapbox

URL: <a href="/preview?siteid=1773900&itemid=984">The Internet Soapbox!</a>

P2P and Music Purchases

Canadian Record Industry Disputes Own P2P Claims
Posted by Zonk on Saturday March 18, @12:31AM
from the talking-crazy dept.

CRIAWatch writes "The Canadian Recording Industry Association has quietly issued a new study that contradicts many of its own claims about the impact of P2P usage on the music industry. Michael Geist summarizes the 144 page study by noting that the research 'concludes that P2P downloading constitutes less than one-third of the music on downloaders' computers, that P2P users frequently try music on P2P services before they buy, that the largest P2P downloader demographic is also the largest music buying demographic, and that reduced purchasing has little to do with the availability of music on P2P services.'"

Glen's Management Life

Category | Easy on the Adverbs, Exclamation Points and Especially Hooptedoodle

Category | Easy on the Adverbs, Exclamation Points and Especially Hooptedoodle

Some practical writing advice about telling your story and editing out what could be a distraction from the main message.

Eight Life Hacks for Health, Wealth, and Happiness : kadavy.net

Eight Life Hacks for Health, Wealth, and Happiness : kadavy.net

Technorati tags: Life Strategies

Some interesting points in the category of simplification will set you free. Some things I am already doing but the diminishing returns on organizing is a perspective worth giving more consideration. Also check out post on Affluenza.