If it is not fun, why do you do it?

If it is not fun, why do you do it? 

An important question for all of us to answer. Katelyn Ohashi caught a lot of folks attention with the perfect 10 in January 2019. While it was an 'overnight' sensation, as usual, it took years to prepare for.

Didn't see the perfect 10? Check out the link  https://youtu.be/4ic7RNS4Dfo




A key part of the preparation was with Miss Val, Katelyn's coach at UCLA who is the real thing. The quick summary of Miss Val's story as she retires this year.

https://youtu.be/gZF6GKzBLQo




The longer (and great version) can be found in the "Laughter Permitted" podcast by Julie Foudy and Lynn Olszowy interview with both Katelyn and Miss Val: 
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1qShhXbjsxpmFnG27hm9eG

or on ESPN http://www.espn.com/espnradio/podcast/archive/_/id/26092845

orchestra pranks? yes, it can be done

Yes, music in good fun!



Thanks to Carl Weston for sharing this

Fun is not just child's play (video)

The thing that hasn’t changed, and I don’t think will ever change, is that the operative word in music is “play.” You have to have a playfulness about it. As the world shifts, it’s starting to understand more and more that to have a playfulness about any and everything is actually the way of having a better life, or being more creative, or being more productive. 

The rules are: The more playful we get, the more we can get rid of the rules.

Composer Hans Zimmer discussing VJam
From Bernie DeKoven


If that quote tickles your imagination, how about this one?

Children play whenever they can – as soon as their most urgent needs are met, and whenever they are not prevented from it. That ability to stay in the moment, to grasp opportunities for exploration, joy and challenge whenever possible, is probably what most people mean by the word “childlike”.  Morgan

And if you had fun with both of those quotes, you'll enjoy this video as Morgan and Bernie get together for a delightful conversation:

We need more 'emotional contagion'

Thanks to Joanne Peterson for pointing this out!




Enjoy!

Ze Frank - fun for Friday!

I miss Ze Frank's "The Show" - It was a glorious exploration, everyday something new. Yes some worked better than others but going through each day, it was magic.

I recall back at the first PodCamp Boston, Steve Garfield coordinated a session that produced this video on "Riding the Fire Eagle Danger Day"!

Ze Frank summarizes some of his work in this TED talk. The two best parts are the Ray story and the last piece on "Hey, you're okay"




Of course, you should have fun everyday and not just Friday!

What are you going to do to have fun today?

What's a cubit?

This dates myself for sure but the rain we have had in MA reminds me of the Bill Cosby skit about Noah building the ark. Right? What's a cubit?



Enjoy!

Create your own Olympic light show

I saw Bernie's post yesterday:

According to Switched The ten, online user-controlled (yes, really, go ahead and try it while you still can) search lights currently installed on each side of Vancouver's English Bay is the work of none other than Major Fun Award-winner Rafael Lozano-Hemmer!

"Ah!" says I, and also "ha!" How satisfying it is to see a Major Fun award-winner earn something closely equivalent to gold medal Olympic recognition for playfulness.

And also that my buddy Rick Hamrick had tried one.

I did it myself this morning. It was quite easy to do, although I wasn't really sure what it would look like.

Note: I normally use Firefox but for some reason, the live video wouldn't show. I tried IE 8.0 and the same problem, it was loading and loading forever. I switched to Chrome and the live video popped right up without delay.

You can view my Olympic light show here:
http://www.vectorialvancouver.net/archive.php?id=13482

Opera everywhere

Some great opera and great improvisation to close out the week!

Opera en el Mercado from esoqueseconocecomolaopera on Vimeo.

Thanks to Bernie DeKoven writing at Deep Fun for the tip to this video

Enjoy!

Laugh to generate warmth

One way to keep warm is with laughter. Laughter comes naturally with fun. Bernie DeKoven, the Funsmith, has a collection of quotes on fun that is purely delightful:

"Ask not what fun does for you. Ask rather what you do for fun." - the Oaqui

"The more fun you have, the greater your value to yourself and to your society. The more fun you share with others, the more fun you have." - the Oaqui

"For every Way there's a way of following that Way that's fun" - the Oaqui

"The Path that is best for you is the Path that keeps the best of you in play" - the Oaqui

For more quotes from the Oaqui, click through here.

If you have a quote that could be redone to make it more fun, please send it on to Bernie.

Note: this was also posted to Franklin Matters today.

"make education more fun"

With a little help from friends and bloggers, I'll be launching a new series of programs about the Fun of Teaching and Learning. The programs will include presentations and workshops that focus on the psychology, sociology, and dynamics of fun in learning and teaching.

As advertised, they will be about the fun of teaching as much as the fun of learning, and I hope to offer them at every level of education.

This from the funsmith, Bernie Dekoven at Deepfun where you can get more details and contact info if you are interested.

Bernie's concepts are near and dear to me. I don't believe you can go wrong where there is fun involved!

5 for Friday

1 - 10 ways to become a writer (that gets paid)


2 -I have seen most tumbler blogs as an alternate collection of multiple writings in one place. I found via my explorations a good design blog at DesignAday.


3 - More developments in the news this week around the chemical compound in Nalgene although the news articles this week did not mention Nalgene by name. Wikipedia is keeping up with it. I wrote about Nalgene here.

4 - Danah Boyd has a posting linking to a very interesting study on cell phone use amongst teenage girls in Palestine. Well worth reading how technology in this case is providing an out for some girls from their societies restrictions and yet is also entangling them.

5 - and for fun on a Friday, lets visit Bernie DeKoven who provides some insight into the folks at ImprovEverywhere as they pull off another event, this time "The Best game ever"

Enjoy

NiagaraFalls: Bike Shadow

NiagaraFalls: Bike Shadow, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Taken while on vacation at Niagara Falls, bike riding on a glorious day. My wife (Dolores) is the shadow in front of me. I (riding behind) managed to catch this photo of the shadow without editing it.

Cool!

Who's the sunflower in my life?

Who's the sunflower in my life?, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Easy answer for this one!

Dolores.


Note: from the student section of the Botanical Gardens on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.

NiagaraFalls: Peek-a-boo

NiagaraFalls_Peek-a-boo, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Visting the Botanical Gardens in Niagara Falls last week, Dolores and I had some fun.

His noble excellency

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: His Noble Excellency Stephen the Extemporaneous of Melbury Bumpton Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title