Do the work!

Ira Glass on the creative process:




Nicely done....

Sounds like 10,000 hours doesn't it!


Thanks to Michelle for point this out

Caine's Arcade

School's out here in Franklin this week. Hopefully, there is some time for imaginations to play. Will someone create a Caine's Arcade? No, it has already been done.




But with your imagination you can do anything else!


Found here http://creatinglifelonglearners.com/?p=1055

making connections

I frequently wonder how connections are made. What is it that suddenly makes a connection? Being in the right spot at the right time, more importantly, being open to receive and understand what is around you has a good deal to do with it I think. Elizabeth Gilbert talks at TED about creativity. There is a connection between creativity and making connections. Listen for yourself.




What do you think?

Is there a connection?

Does everything need to have it's place?

In the interest of sharing some good creativity, here is a wonderful short film from John Douglas Powers.


The Collector from john douglas powers on Vimeo.

Does everything need to have it's place?

Thanks to Make for the tip to this item

A creative approach to intellectual property

Over the past 15 years, the rise of digital technology and the global economy has made it ever easier to copy, distribute, and profit from the fruits of other people's creativity - from the new Fergie album spreading across peer-to-peer networks to pirated "Spider-Man" DVDs showing up on the streets of Shanghai. In response, American lawmakers have instituted increasingly sweeping laws, seeking to stymie intellectual-property theft with lengthier copyright terms and more stringent consequences for violators. Without these measures, they reason, innovators will lose money, and innovation will suffer.

In something as simple as the public outcry of a Hollywood jokester, Sprigman, an associate professor of law at the University of Virginia, sees an approach that he hopes could put the lie to this thinking, and turn the heads of lawmakers. He sees a comedian enforcing respect for originality without resorting to legislation, lawyers, or the courts. He sees intellectual property being protected - not by the strong arm of the government, but by way of the very technologies that have incited stronger laws in the first place.

"People usually talk about how the Internet destroys intellectual property," says Sprigman. "But here the Internet enforces intellectual property. It helps to protect creativity by shaming pirates."

The Boston Globe Sunday issue has the full article here.

Nice approach to a tough issue. I think this approach has some merit, especially since the restrictive legal approach isn't working.

What do you think?

Good quote - Myth of Innovations

Discovering problems actually requires just as much creativity as discovering solutions. There are many ways to look at any problem, and realizing a problem is often the first step toward a creative solution. To paraphrase John Dewey, the creator of the Dewey Decimal System, a properly defined problem is partially solved. And if your particular innovation involves the support of other people, a clearly defined problem helps form bonds and build teams were none existed before. Author John Seeley Brown said, "When we get in the spirit of following a problem to the root, that pursuit of listening to the problem brings multiple disciplines and multiple crafts together. The problem pulls people together.

Bold text is for my emphasis. I finished reading Scott Berkun's book: The Myths of Innovation this week.

The book moves to my recommended listing.

Leftover creativity

I don't like to waste food so there are many re-uses other than simply re-heating and serving leftovers. Here is a sample of some that come along and what I like to do with them.

Not that we'll change to this a food site but let's see where food does get us.

Leftover -> Re-use
Baked potato -> home fries
Ham bone -> pea soup
old bananas -> banana bread
old bread -> bread pudding
ham slices -> ham hash or ham omelets (or both)


If you have different uses or other suggestions, please share.

Cooking Lesson Learned

Regular readers may have noticed that I like to cook. One aspect of cooking that always is intriguing is being efficient and in particular using left overs creatively. A spiral ham for the holidays left a ham bone which became split green pea soup. This was one time when we did not have enough ham to also make a ham hash (maybe next time).

We had some egg nog left over and I have been trying to find a use for it. Other than served with a shot of brandy as a nice night cap, that is.

Since it is egg and milk, why not use it to make French toast?
No, not good. It soaked the bread too much and burned too quickly.

Why not use it in a pancake mix? After all you add egg and milk to make pancakes?
No, also not good. After multiple tries, the mix was either too thick or too thin. When too thick it did not cook well enough before burning. When too thin, it was messy and again tended to burn too quickly.

So for any knowledgeable cooks out there, what is it in egg nog that prevents it being used in these ways? Is there some way to compensate?

Or do we just drink it?

thanks for any assistance you may provide.