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128 vintage pocket calculators /via @make
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Con Todo
I just found an old XML file I created back in 2003. I’m not sure what it means, but it makes me LOL.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<con_todo>
<noun>
<agua_fresca/>
<you/>
<harveys>
<keitel/>
<oswald/>
</harveys>
<sun/>
<dog_poop/>
<ozonator/>
<gmc_pickups/>
<stop_signs/>
<police/>
<silk/>
<fur_ball/>
</noun>
<verb>
<stab/>
<exit/>
<cross/>
<excise/>
<bang/>
<stroke/>
<chew/>
<fold/>
<foil/>
<blend/>
<crosshatch/>
<exercise/>
<inject/>
</verb>
<action/>
</con_todo>
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Storyboarding the Simpsons Way
This is a wonderful PDF which illustrates how story is conveyed…
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Why Intelligent People Fail
Why Intelligent People Fail
Content from Sternberg, R. (1994). In search of the human mind. New York: Harcourt Brace.1. Lack of motivation. A talent is irrelevant if a person is not motivated to use it. Motivation may be external (for example, social approval) or internal (satisfaction from a job well-done, for instance). External sources tend to be transient, while internal sources tend to produce more consistent performance.
2. Lack of impulse control. Habitual impulsiveness gets in the way of optimal performance. Some people do not bring their full intellectual resources to bear on a problem but go with the first solution that pops into their heads.
3. Lack of perserverance and perseveration. Some people give up too easily, while others are unable to stop even when the quest will clearly be fruitless.
4. Using the wrong abilities. People may not be using the right abilities for the tasks in which they are engaged.
5. Inability to translate thought into action. Some people seem buried in thought. They have good ideas but rarely seem able to do anything about them.
6. Lack of product orientation. Some people seem more concerned about the process than the result of activity.
7. Inability to complete tasks. For some people nothing ever draws to a close. Perhaps it’s fear of what they would do next or fear of becoming hopelessly enmeshed in detail.
8. Failure to initiate. Still others are unwilling or unable to initiate a project. It may be indecision or fear of commitment.
9. Fear of failure. People may not reach peak performance because they avoid the really important challenges in life.
10. Procrastination. Some people are unable to act without pressure. They may also look for little things to do in order to put off the big ones.
11. Misattribution of blame. Some people always blame themselves for even the slightest mishap. Some always blame others.
12. Excessive self-pity. Some people spend more time feeling sorry for themselves than expending the effort necessary to overcome the problem.
13. Excessive dependency. Some people expect others to do for them what they ought to be doing themselves.
14. Wallowing in personal difficulties. Some people let their personal difficulties interfere grossly with their work. During the course of life, one can expect some real joys and some real sorrows. Maintaining a proper perspective is often difficult.
15. Distractibility and lack of concentration. Even some very intelligent people have very short attention spans.
16. Spreading oneself too think or too thick. Undertaking too many activities may result in none being completed on time. Undertaking too few can also result in missed opportunities and reduced levels of accomplishment.
17. Inability to delay gratification. Some people reward themselves and are rewarded by others for finishing small tasks, while avoiding bigger tasks that would earn them larger rewards.
18. Inability to see the forest for the trees. Some people become obsessed with details and are either unwilling or unable to see or deal with the larger picture in the projects they undertake.
19. Lack of balance between critical, analytical thinking and creative, synthetic thinking. It is important for people to learn what kind of thinking is expected of them in each situation.
20. Too little or too much self-confidence. Lack of self-confidence can gnaw away at a person’s ability to get things done and become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Conversely, individuals with too much self-confidence may not know when to admit they are wrong or in need of self-improvement.
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He Wears It – Star Wars & Fashion //via @wired
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The Economics of the World Cup via @mint
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Marble, my pup. RIP
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Prop 16: Just say No
A message from my very connected, very intelligent friend Bruce Chamberlain. This is a huge issue that we have to defeat!
From: Bruce Chamberlain
Date: Sun, Jun 6, 2010 at 11:00 PM
Subject: Prop 16: Just say No Before you get all amped up about the World Cup in South Africa….remember to vote on Tuesday.Â
Date: Sun, Jun 6, 2010 at 11:00 PM
Subject: Prop 16: Just say No Before you get all amped up about the World Cup in South Africa….remember to vote on Tuesday.Â
I usually don't mass email on ballot measures (or much of anything else)…..Except that the PG&E sponsored ballot initiative (Prop 16) represents all that can go bad in the initiative process. With enough money ($35 million and counting) to blast misinformation all over the airwaves and multi-media outlets, this paranoid, very powerful corporation could actually pull this brazen monopoly-grab off.Â
The reason there are very few voices against the measure is because those affected (cities and counties and current municipal utilities) are legally restricted from making any statements against measures on a ballot. With their hands tied, the sole provider and beneficiary (PG&E) can run the election table.Â
For more persuading evidence/opinion to vote no on this ballot, link to the Op Ed against Prop 16 and the wiki at Ballotpedia below.Â
The California Public Utilities Commission was created nearly 100 years ago as a constitutional agency to protect consumers from the abuses of monopoly power. View Full Story
http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_16_(June_2010)
If anyone feels they have a convincing reason to change the CA Constitution (and are leaning towards a Yes Vote) over this issue, I'd appreciate any feedback.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and practice democracy.Â
Cheers,
Bruce C.Â
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What Mac apps should I use?
My friend Alex is setting up a new Mac and asked what apps he needed to get. I know there are tons of “apps to get” lists, but here’s the list I gave him. It’s a short list, because I think that people tend to install a bunch of stuff they will rarely use.
See, it’s a short list. There are a couple I forgot.
Of course, there are more, but I think this is a great core toolkit to get people up and running on a Mac.