Marching to the beat of your own drummer.

I’ve always used music to keep me focused on a task. I’ve noticed that there’s a specific style that keeps me a bit more productive. Usually movies soundtracks. I don’t know if it’s the feelings associated with the films, or if I have a fantasy about having a soundtrack for my own life. This playlist started out as the songs from the PBS Special “Carrier”, then quickly morphed into inspiring soundtracks – r-us. In any case I share with you my weirdness. Enjoy!

The Big Storm. Quiet Morning Moments.

I got up early this morning 8:00am EST and starting walking around cause there’s nothing more peaceful than the quiet after a snow fall. Especially here in Virginia when people hole up as if it’s the Apocalypse.

This video was made with my Canon Powershot SD1000. The music was recorded in real time from my iphone speaker. Seems to me that would be a great feature for the iPhone or Flip camera. Real time music soundtrack to video recording. Then immediately shareable.

Everyone Freak Out! Our routine’s are disprupted!

As the Metro D.C. prepares (freaks out as if anticipating the Apocalypse) for 18″ of snow this weekend I post this great example of ingenuity and adaptation.

One of the things that I really love about unforeseen occurrences that force us to change our routines, is how it forces us, to examine our routine and to adapt to something new. For instance, last night I went to the grocery store to hopefully get some food, just to make sure I had enough. I felt triumphant as I grabbed one of the last half gallon bottles of organic milk, only realize that when I got home that half gallon, was indeed Buttermilk. So what do we do? Make pancakes and biscuits.

I also wonder, what is it about a potential shut in for 3 days, that make people think they HAVE to go buy milk and bread. I mean seriously, is it really that important? You can replace, milk in just about anything with a few common items. Do we as Americans really drink that much?

Very odd to me. I wonder if the dairy farmers of the area are thinking… Hmmmm I wish I had 5 more cows today to maximize those profits.

AMAZING, GREAT, BEAUTIFUL, PHENOMENAL!

My nomination for tech gadget of the year 2009

The Dixon Ticonderoga No 2. Pencil

Best Tech Gadget of the Year.

Effectiveness= Not as good as a pen, but legible.

Cool Features= Easily Erasable and correctable, always works, in all kinds of environments, including upside down.

Versatility=High

Able to create multiple types of communication with the same feature set.

Sturdiness= Moderately Durable

Works every time until it’s dead, until it doesn’t fit in your hand anymore. Can always be used by children as it gets smaller.

Dependencies= Requires soft enough writing surface, paper, pad, concrete,

Price= Moderately Cheap

Portability=High

Battery power= Not Applicable

Green= Renewable resource… No oil at all. Only carbon footprint includes the energy taken to make it. Given they are made at scale, the footprint is probably limited.

User Experience= This is a top quality product in it’s class. Writes smooth, the eraser is soft enough to be effective. Colorful shiny metal and gloss type give sense of a high quality product.

With speed in mind and sketching becoming a popular way to communicate ideas, the future use of this tool is consistent, despite our means such as electronic communication.

Procrasinators Toolkit

Like anyone I’ve spent a fair amount of my life procrastinating things I should be doing to activities of lesser value. It will probably be a human fight as long as we all live. Ironically this post is kind of a procrastination for others things I should be doing now. There are plenty of resources, to help people with this, but I thought I list my own set of material, theories, and processes that have worked best for me.

Best Overall Resource

Eat that Frog! by Brian Tracy

The story goes like this. While in the Jacksonville, FL airport after having miffed a presentation that could have gone much better if I had just focused on my most important task I felt at my wits end strolled into the airport bookstore, and saw a cheap book on the spinning display rack near the register. The cover had a big picture of a frog on the front and the sans serif bolded typeface just made it look like almost as cheesy as those horoscope mini-books at the check out at the grocery store.   But needing a little of of mojo, I decided for $11 bucks it wouldn’t be a total waste by buying it. I could probably read it in a 2 hour flight back to IAD and get a feeling of some accomplishment. It turned out to the best the self-help, productivity information I’ve found to date. I have poured over the information, time and time again like a piece of scripture, trying to apply the principles contained inside. My copy is tattered, I’ve purchased it as a gift for friends that I knew were struggling. I’ve purchased on audio.It’s been the most valuable book in my library.

Online Egg Timer -

http://www.online-stopwatch.com/

This tool is invaluable to me. There’s something about a big freaking visual of a timer sitting on the screen where you normally do your procrastinating. Yes, you can always tuck it away. But more often than not, it’s very motivating. I just wish it had a louder “times up” sound. I usually find that this tool has gotten me “into the zone.” I and blow right past my time limit, sometimes, missing meetings etc.

Audio Books

If you have any kind of commute, or lay in bed for 30 minutes before you get out of bed, stop wasting those waking moments, complaining or listening to lame radio stations or general nothingness. I amazed at how much I learn, when I take even just 5 minutes to listen to something. It takes very little effort, and you can usually do something else at the same time. Plus when you’ve missed something you can go back just like a book. Some books I prefer to just listen to and others I’ve got started using the audio then switched to the book, get even more. If you need to stay up to date, have a regular reading schedule, absord content, and you don’t think you have the time. Think again, audio books are the best option for this. Audible.com, iTunes

The List

When ever I’ve become unfocused,I can usually stop my procrastination cycle by stopping, grabbing some paper and pencil and making the immediate most important things to do list. It takes less than 10 seconds to put your most immediate and important tasks at the top. Instantly you recognize what you should be doing. At least then you can restart with some clarity.  Once you determine your most important task for the present, Create a sublist for just that item of steps/task you need to do to actually do that. If that’s not enough to get you going. Create another list to describe how to fulfill that list.Get granular! BS! Be Specific. Then DO  IT. Don’t go more than 3 levels deep, cause you have to start the task. When you’ve completed each list item. CHECK IT OFF! Get that sense of accomplish and use that energy to go forward.

Example:

1. Finish Report
2. Finish Email
3. Schedule Meeting
4. Surf Internet
5. Watch TV

Finish Report Task List

1. Get to Office
2. Set up computer
3. Open Resources
4. Create format
5. Create Content
6. Send it out to appropriate parties
7. Set up Review.

Best new Culinary Treat – Bacon Lattice

A week ago the Project Manager on my project at work, who has many stories credited to his name told the project team that he had made a fritata over the weekend with a bacon lattice.

Now anything with bacon is better. But  there’s something so satisfying about just the words Bacon Lattice.

I post the pictures in tribute to a man with good taste.

Repost of the week -My daydream

Ben hearts cool design, imagine how inspired you’d feel to work in a place like this.

http://www.momoy.com/2009/05/02/selgas-cano-minimalist-office-like-a-modern-cave/

The tribute, tribute video post. Walter V. does Christmas

Canada’s best export. Walter V.

WHY NOT?

Today ask yourself the question:

WHY NOT?

To every obstacle, ask yourself. WHY NOT?

Keep asking yourself why not until you find no more excuses not to ____________.

Why Not?

Instant Classic.

I do not agree with the Urban Dictionary’s definition for the phrase Instant Classic. I feel like the definition should include more reference to the word Classic. But I was hard pressed to be able to articulate my own definition until a friend shared this with me.

Nuff said.

East Coast Bias?…. well duh.

Ok CFB fans. You don’t hear this argument as much as we used to, but as I was looking at the Map of CFB programs it totally dawned on me as to why. Sure the west has some powerful teams and a lot of talent. But look at the density of programs east of Colorado.That means all of those programs are recruiting against the same geographic area.It makes me wonder how much better those teams would be if we equaled out the number of eastern programs to western. Would the west even have a chance? Or is California a big enough recruiting grounds to provide the rest of the west with talent?

FBS Football in the USA

“And men are that they might have joy….”

Last week, as I was listening to Malcom Gladwell’s “Outliers” during my commute, this thought came to my mind…”

“Anytime, I’ve seemingly made a mistake regarding my career or my otherwise, I’ve thought more about success, than truly what would make me happy.”

It might not be a big revelation to you, but when you have several good options before you, the view can seem quite cloudy. If you have the option, doing something you love will always make you successful.

Computer specs have exceeded my needs! YEAH!

I’ve seen computers as a tool, a toy and something I’ve totally coveted for close to 25 years. I was shopping for computers back when you HAD to order them in a magazine. You couldn’t get them anywhere else. The idea of a computer store was a sheer novelty.  I was always searching and hoping to find a way to get the next best and biggest computer, the one I thought I always wanted has always been out of my price range and something I would have to wait for.

My first computer was a Commodore 128 (128 for 128 K of RAM memory)which my parents spent $250 for one Christmas. Bar none, the best Christmas gift ever and one that would unknowingly direct me into my current career. I spent the next 6 months on my paper route saving enough money to by myself and 5 1/4′ floppy disk drive. Until then I ran all my programs off a cassette tape drive. Eventually I had enough stuff including a 14.4 kbps modem that I ran a bulletin board on. (1986) Take that, Al Gore who invented the internet!

Since then I’ve spent thousands upgrading and buying new machines. To play the coolest games or to hook up video equipment, make it faster, then get a bigger something or other, then get a smaller something or other. About 8 months ago I started to realize I hadn’t fallen into my pattern of shopping for fun toys when I get bored. In fact those direct emails I’ve been getting from Tigerdirect.com and Apple are really starting to get annoying! Those mailers from Microcenter have been shredded confetti even before I take a peek at them. And now I’m wondering why they’re not being very green by sending anything to me.  I’m sure they know I haven’t been back in a long while, given all of my data on their loyalty program.

Just about anything I really want to do on a computer honestly only takes about 1/3 of the resources of anything that costs less than $700.  I’m almost having a mid-life crisis realizing that either my activities are bordering on the old and boring or maybe technology has just surpassed me. It’s a little scary, since for so long I’ve had an identity as the guy who loved computers for so long… now that nothing special.

And like an ailing Mel Gibson my last words trickle out of my mouth….. “Freeeeeeeeeddooooom!”

My life as a colonial, pirate, wiggle, captain morgan…..

A couple of weeks ago my I went to Colonial Williamsburg and could not resist getting a colonial tri-corner hat.

This of course could not be wasted on Halloween as I pimped myself out with the appropriate red-coat vest and knickers.

What I was surprised was at the numerous and various responses I got from people regarding who I might be.

The most popular were indeed a pirate, but it seems there are sort of odd associations with a tri-corner hat.

Here’s the list:

A Pirate

Captain Morgan

A Wiggle (Someone with kids help me out here.)

The guy from the Free Credit Report.com commercial

John Smith

and finally a Red Coat…. Kudos to Jason Teague for “getting it.”

Free and Peaceful Transfer of Power

I’ve not been doing well on according to the purpose of this blog. My mantra was to post often, not worry about perfection and be truly authentic. After having my laptop  and friends GPS stolen from our car, my faith in humanity wained a bit. But I’m back to post all of my back dated thoughts, that I didn’t have time to finish the they I wanted to….. reality is that this is all can I can give you at this time….

Last February I attended the inauguration of Barrack Obama as President of the United States of America with a group of friends.

I started this post then remarking about two subjects. Mantle of Authority and Diversity.

Recently I watched the DVD set, John Adams from HBO starring Paul Giamatti. This movie was a great portrait of a lesser known founding forefather that was impressive for many reasons. Most of all it reminded of the wonderment I felt at the inauguration. Since living in the D.C. area I’ve attended 3 inaugurations, most of which have followed a bitter year long campaign of  accusations, false rumors and attack under the guise of useful criticisms.

What I’m always amazed by at the inaugurations is the free and peaceful transfer of power. Indeed there is a palpable feeling when the mantle of authority is past and taken on by another. Regardless of how bitter the debates were, there is a true intangible but real power in the peaceful and humble change of possession of the executive authority.

 

Practice, practice, practice… then play what you want.

I’ve played about a handful of musical instruments in my lifetime but none to such skill that I felt I could fully express myself in the language of music.

I do remember days of chore sitting at a piano keyboard or snapping the spit valve of my trumpet, dreaming I commanding the attention of thousands on a rock stage.

So when I see people who stayed true to their skills but felt all types of music my heart sort of leaps up to applaud them for having the discipline to gain that power of expression.  Once you’ve gained it you can do whatever you want with it. Play rock songs on a violin, awesome.

Check this duo out: Pianafiddle

Power to ya!

Bad Habits….

I’ve cracked my knuckles for years….I think I’ve finally found the cure!

Bad Habits:
How To Stop Cracking Your Knuckles

Just this morning I was thinking how cool it would be to have….. one of these!

A fun way to update my POV! A DIY windshield cam.

I love the tinkerers of the world!

My love affair with College Football – CFB 2009 is on it’s way!

We are hours away from the beginning of a new college football season and I have been feeling the excitement for weeks now! I heart college football!

I mean I really love it. But I’ve become aware that it could be because I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin. Even when we were terrible at football the pageantry, enthusiasm and celebration surrounding game day is the glue that binds the community together.

In fact I think that’s the point. I love community events. People come together, even if they’re opposing sides to celebrate the exciting of human achievement, camaraderie and the excitement of life.

To sum it up, there’s nothing like sitting among 85,000 of your best friends and screaming your head off for no apparent reason.

Reasons to love College Football:

• Community, Colors &Tailgates
• Traditions & Songs & Mascots
• Pagentry , Halftimes, Bands (5th Quarter if your’e a Badger fan)
• Passion -Originality Cheer, Frivolity
• Rivalries and Underdogs
• Bowl Games & Heros