I stumbled upon these recently and fell in love with the beauty and creativity. Please like the ones you like and leave a comment! These are just a few of the collection.
Puro Pandemic Loteria – Covid Style
Category: Uncategorized
What’s So? Funny You Should Ask
Recently I had the pleasure of participating in a fabulous online course with Landmark Education. The course really was designed to give those participating power and freedom in these times we live in. I loved it and got so much out of it!
One of the handouts was a quote from Werner Erhard, a personal hero of mine in the world of personal growth and development. I’ve been a huge fan of his work and always wished I had a chance to participate in some of that earlier work he created and would still love to meet him one day!
The quote was from a talk he did and it was called “What’s So”. It’s a wonderful exercise in getting to what is actually so about anything in your life so that you can deal with THAT and not with the drama and story around what you may perceive as your life. I know I’m paraphrasing here and it’s hard to really boil down all that is in that magnificent document into a paragraph because so much of the intention and spirit of it is left off when I do that. My best friend and I would read the document every day and look at areas of our lives that we had been stuck on or were experiencing lacks of power, freedom, and full self expression. It wasn’t hard to find them especially given this world of pandemic and craziness with the economy and all that good stuff!
One thing we discovered was looking at the document from an “I” perspective really illuminated some interesting concepts that hadn’t shown up in previous readings, so we took the document and redid it in a format that has it speak to the reader like you are talking to yourself. It has been a real revelation for me in so many areas that I just had to share it here!
I’m going to post the two versions of the quote so you can see the difference and use whichever you’d like. I hope it makes a difference for you in whatever area of your life you may be working on. I’m always available to talk to anyone about anything regarding these documents and thanks for being a reader of my website! I know it’s been a while but it is what it is. I decided to get started again so I can keep the creativity flowing!
Here’s the first quoted document in it’s original form followed by the second version in the “I” form. Enjoy!
WHAT’S SO
What’s so is always just what’s so. What’s so doesn’t care what you think, feel, intend or wish; it will not bend. You can be freaked out or driven over what’s so, and it won’t change what’s so. If you’re late for an appointment, getting freaked out about it won’t have you arrive any earlier. If you’re having a bad day, being freaked out won’t change what’s so.
That which you seek will not bring you satisfaction – aligning with what’s so will.
When you’re upset, you’re never upset over what’s so. What’s so is just what’s so, and you’re upset.
If your house burns down and you get upset, does it bring your house back? What’s so doesn’t care if you’re upset; it’s up to you how you handle what’s so. There is no confusion in what’s so. When you don’t know you just don’t know – there is no confusion there.
There’s nothing right or wrong about what’s so. What’s so is always open to different interpretations. There’s always just what’s so, and then you have an interpretation.
What scares you isn’t what’s so, it’s your interpretation. The interpretation is never true; what’s so is real, the interpretation is not.
Who you’re being is just who you’re being, and what’s so doesn’t care if you’re happy with it or not, so why should you? When you’re not being with what’s so, that’s also just what’s so. Why should you concern yourself?
Other people should always be the way they’re being; if you think they shouldn’t, that’s your interpretation. Bring yourself back to what’s so about them. Until you can be with what’s so, you can’t be with anything or anyone. You may have control over other people’s what’s so, but none over their interpretation – give it up.
If you take action or not, it’s still just what’s so. If it works out well or not, it’s still just what’s so. You can never make a right or wrong decision or take a right or wrong action.
Whatever you do will always bring you more of what’s so, and then you have an interpretation about it. Whatever you don’t have, so what? Whatever you’ve done or thought in the past, again so what? Whatever happens in the future is not to be feared. It’s just going to be more of what’s so.
The challenge is to spend as much time in what’s so as you can. The chatter in your head is more interpretation, and it has nothing to do with what’s so. There’s nothing wrong with the chatter, it’s just you listening to a fantasy.
The thought that there is something wrong is an illusion; there is nothing wrong, there is only what’s so.
Notice when you’re comparing what’s so to some fantasy of how it should be. Bring yourself back to what’s so and it will be O.K.
Ask yourself what’s so and align with that. Align with what’s so and it will not matter. That is the foundation of transformation and satisfaction.
Not aligning with what’s so is the only thing that will ever bring you hardship or suffering. Life in what’s so will bring you harmony, grace, and balance.
The other side of what is so is so what.
Werher Erhard
What’s So (“i” Version) – Inspired By Werner Erhard
What’s so is always just what’s so. What’s so doesn’t care what I think, feel, intend or wish; it will not bend. I can be freaked out or driven over what’s so, and it won’t change what’s so. If I’m late for an appointment, getting freaked out about it won’t have me arrive any earlier. If I’m having a bad day, being freaked out won’t change what’s so.
That which I seek will not bring me satisfaction – aligning with what’s so will.
When I’m upset, I’m never upset over what’s so. What’s so is just what’s so, and I’m upset.
If my house burns down and I get upset, does it bring my house back? What’s so doesn’t care if I’m upset; it’s up to me how I handle what’s so. There is no confusion in what’s so. When I don’t know I just don’t know – there is no confusion there.
There’s nothing right or wrong about what’s so. What’s so is always open to different interpretations. There’s always just what’s so, and then I have an interpretation.
What scares me isn’t what’s so, it’s my interpretation. The interpretation is never true; what’s so is real, the interpretation is not.
Who I’m being is just who I’m being, and what’s so doesn’t care if I’m happy with it or not, so why should I? When I’m not being with what’s so, that’s also just what’s so. Why should I concern myself?
Other people should always be the way they’re being; if I think they shouldn’t, that’s my interpretation. Bring myself back to what’s so about them. Until I can be with what’s so, I can’t be with anything or anyone. I may have control over other people’s what’s so, but none over their interpretation – give it up.
If I take action or not, it’s still just what’s so. If it works out well or not, it’s still just what’s so. I can never make a right or wrong decision or take a right or wrong action.
Whatever I do will always bring me more of what’s so, and then I have an interpretation about it. Whatever I don’t have, so what? Whatever I’ve done or thought in the past, again so what? Whatever happens in the future is not to be feared. It’s just going to be more of what’s so.
The challenge is to spend as much time in what’s so as I can. The chatter in my head is more interpretation, and it has nothing to do with what’s so. There’s nothing wrong with the chatter, it’s just me listening to a fantasy.
The thought that there is something wrong is an illusion; there is nothing wrong, there is only what’s so.
Notice when I’m comparing what’s so to some fantasy of how it should be. Bring myself back to what’s so and it will be O.K.
Ask myself what’s so and align with that. Align with what’s so and it will not matter. That is the foundation of transformation and satisfaction.
Not aligning with what’s so is the only thing that will ever bring me hardship or suffering. Life in what’s so will bring me harmony, grace, and balance.
The other side of what is so is so what.
From Original What’s So document by Werner Erhard
Twenty Lessons for Americans to Remember
Well, there’s no doubt about it. This recent election has really forced so many of us (myself included) to question life. There’s a meme that says “I whisper, ‘what the fuck,’ to myself at least twenty times a day.” I catch myself doing that all the time 
lately, especially when scrolling through Facebook. Literally, I just can’t even handle it at times. It’s not that I don’t mind the other people have opinions that are different than mine. It’s just sometimes when the people I care about say things that sound racist or insensitive to a whole other group of people, I become afraid for us all. How far would someone go to suppress or bring down others? Have we really gotten to a place in life where we have to go back to blaming others for our seeming fucked up life? And, why does someone always have to lose so others win? Are we still operating like that in life?
The point of this little opinion post (and this is exactly what it is, nothing more), is not to change anyone else’s mind or thoughts on the candidates or issues we had to choose from. My intention is simply to offer a different perspective on how we are all going to be able to work together and live together in the coming years. It’s a time of change and uncertainty. I have my own fears and concerns. None of these are the point of this post. The following is something I found on Facebook and I found it really so beautifully written and expressed. I hope you’ll read it and get something out of it no matter what side of the issues you may fall.
Recently, on Facebook, Yale historian and Holocaust expert Timothy Snyder wrote:
“Americans are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience. Now is a good time to do so.” Snyder’s a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (which includes former Secretaries of State), and consults on political situations around the globe.
He says, “Here are twenty lessons from the twentieth century, adapted to the circumstances of today.
- Do not obey in advance. Much of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then start to do it without being asked. You’ve already done this, haven’t you? Stop. Anticipatory obedience teaches authorities what is possible and accelerates unfreedom.
- Defend an institution. Follow the courts or the media, or a court or a newspaper. Do not speak of “our institutions” unless you are making them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions don’t protect themselves. They go down like dominoes unless each is defended from the beginning.
- Recall professional ethics. When the leaders of state set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become much more important. It is hard to break a rule-of-law state without lawyers, and it is hard to have show trials without judges.
- When listening to politicians, distinguish certain words. Look out for the expansive use of “terrorism” and “extremism.” Be alive to the fatal notions of “exception” and “emergency.” Be angry about the treacherous use of patriotic vocabulary.
- Be calm when the unthinkable arrives. When the terrorist attack comes, remember that all authoritarians at all times either await or plan such events in order to consolidate power. Think of the Reichstag fire. The sudden disaster that requires the end of the balance of power, the end of opposition parties, and so on, is the oldest trick in the Hitlerian book. Don’t fall for it.
- Be kind to our language. Avoid pronouncing the phrases everyone else does. Think up your own way of speaking, even if only to convey that thing you think everyone is saying. (Don’t use the internet before bed. Charge your gadgets away from your bedroom, and read.) What to read? Perhaps “The Power of the Powerless” by Václav Havel, 1984 by George Orwell, The Captive Mind by Czesław Milosz, The Rebel by Albert Camus, The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt, or Nothing is True and Everything is Possible by Peter Pomerantsev.
- Stand out. Someone has to. It is easy, in words and deeds, to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without that unease, there is no freedom. And the moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow.
- Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power, because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights.
- Investigate. Figure things out for yourself. Spend more time with long articles. Subsidize investigative journalism by subscribing to print media. Realize that some of what is on your screen is there to harm you.
- Practice corporeal politics. Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen. Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make new friends and march with them.
- Make eye contact and small talk. This is not just polite. It is a way to stay in touch with your surroundings, break down unnecessary social barriers, and come to understand whom you should and should not trust. If we enter a culture of denunciation, you will want to know the psychological landscape of your daily life.
- Take responsibility for the face of the world. Notice the swastikas and the other signs of hate. Do not look away and do not get used to them. Remove them yourself and set an example for others to do so.
- Hinder the one-party state. The parties that took over states were once something else. They exploited a historical moment to make political life impossible for their rivals. Vote in local and state elections while you can.
- Give regularly to good causes, if you can. Pick a charity and set up autopay. Then you will know that you have made a free choice that is supporting civil society helping others doing something good.
- Establish a private life. Nastier rulers will use what they know about you to push you around. Scrub your computer of malware. Remember that email is skywriting. Consider using alternative forms of the internet, or simply using it less. Have personal exchanges in person. For the same reason, resolve any legal trouble. Authoritarianism works as a blackmail state, looking for the hook on which to hang you. Try not to have too many hooks.
- Learn from others in other countries. Keep up your friendships abroad, or make new friends abroad. The present difficulties here are an element of a general trend. And no country is going to find a solution by itself. Make sure you and your family have passports.
- Watch out for the paramilitaries. When the men with guns who have always claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching around with torches and pictures of a Leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-Leader paramilitary and the official police and military intermingle, the game is over.
- Be reflective if you must be armed. If you carry a weapon in public service, God bless you and keep you. But know that evils of the past involved policemen and soldiers finding themselves, one day, doing irregular things. Be ready to say no. (If you do not know what this means, contact the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and ask about training in professional ethics.)
- Be as courageous as you can. If none of us is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die in unfreedom.
- Be a patriot. The incoming president is not. Set a good example of what America means for the generations to come. They will need it.”
About Timothy Snyder:
Timothy Snyder is one of the leading American historians and public intellectuals, and enjoys perhaps greater prominence in Europe, the subject of most of his work. He is the Housum Professor of History at Yale University and a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. He received his doctorate from the University of Oxford in 1997, where he was a British Marshall Scholar. Before joining the faculty at Yale in 2001, he held fellowships in Paris, Vienna, and Warsaw, and an Academy Scholarship at Harvard. He speaks five and reads ten European languages. Among his publications are six single-authored award-winning books, all of which have been translated: Nationalism, Marxism, and Modern Central Europe: A Biography of Kazimierz Kelles-Krauz (1998, second edition 2016); The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569-1999 (2003); Sketches from a Secret War: A Polish Artist’s Mission to Liberate Soviet Ukraine (2005); The Red Prince: The Secret Lives of a Habsburg Archduke (2008); and Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin (2010). Bloodlands won twelve awards including the Emerson Prize in the Humanities, a Literature Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Leipzig Award for European Understanding, and the Hannah Arendt Prize in Political Thought. It has been translated into thirty-three languages, was named to twelve book-of-the-year lists, and was a bestseller in six countries. His most recent book, Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning (2015) will appear in twenty-four foreign editions. It has been a bestseller in four countries and has received multiple distinctions including the award of the Dutch Auschwitz Committee. Snyder is also the co-editor of two books: Wall Around the West: State Borders and Immigration Controls in Europe and North America (2001) and Stalin and Europe: Terror, War, Domination (2013). In a very special project, Snyder helped his friend, the distinguished historian and intellectual Tony Judt, to compose a thematic history of political ideas and intellectuals in politics, Thinking the Twentieth Century (2012). Snyder’s essays on the Ukrainian revolution were published in in Russian and Ukrainian as Ukrainian History, Russian Politics, European Futures (2014). A broader range of essays was published in Czech as The Politics of Life and Death (2015). Snyder sits on the editorial boards of the Journal of Modern European History and East European Politics and Societies. His scholarly articles have appeared in Past and Present, the Journal of Cold War Studies, and other journals; he has also written for The New York Review of Books, Foreign Affairs, The Times Literary Supplement, The Nation, and The New Republic as well as for The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, and other newspapers. Snyder was the recipient of an inaugural Andrew Carnegie Fellowship in 2015 and received the Havel Foundation prize the same year. He has received state orders from Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland. He is a member of the Committee on Conscience of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, is the faculty advisor for the Fortunoff Collection of Holocaust Testimonies at Yale, and sits on the advisory councils of the Yivo Institute for Jewish Research and other organizations.
One of the best articles I’ve seen on the recent Chick-Fil-A situation. A must read!
My daughter was looking out the car window on a particularly sunny day last week. “The sky is purple!” she announced.
The sky looked like it did on just about any other day. Except for a few puffy white clouds, it was bright, brilliant and blue. I vaguely remembered a few weeks earlier when I pointed out a picturesque sunset to the kids. It was purple that day, kind of. Why rock the boat? “Yeah,” I said. “The sky can be purple sometimes. It could also be orange or gray or…”
“The sky is blue!” my son interrupted. He shouted it, like a challenge, as if to shame me for humoring his sister.
“No! The sky is purple!” she countered from the seat beside him. “It’s purple!”
“It’s blue!”
“Purple!”
“Blue!”
“Purple! DADDDDDDDDY!”
Now it was a debate. Was the sky blue or purple? The dad in me said that…
View original post 759 more words
Time for an update…
Nobody said it would be easy, and I sort of new that going into things. But this whole being fit thing is one hell of an adventure. My weight has gone up and down and all around but mostly steadied out over time. My current weight is 233 and I’ve been pretty happy with my results overall. I’ve MOSTLY had to deal with my thoughts about how I’m doing or not doing. Just when I think nothing is working I lose an extra pound or I start to feel better about myself. The mind is a tricky bitch to manage so I’ve mostly just tried to not sabotage it all based on some loser thoughts that inhabit my brain.
Last week I felt like I sprained my ankle. I came home from a festival and my ankle was swollen and felt crummy. I waited for it to go down on it’s own but it didn’t really do that. I went to the doctor and they agreed that I had sprained something. They told me there’s nothing I can do but keep it wrapped, put less strain on it and keep it elevated. This was such bullshit…I thought to myself! How in the hell do I start exercising and just start to get my body working only to suffer from a dumb thing like a sprained ankle? But, as with all things, it turned out fine. I took a week to relax and really let my ankle and leg recover completely. It worked…I’m back up and doing what I do best. (By the way, the toenail is black because I painted it that way…long story but ask me about it if you really wanna know.)
I’ll keep you posted on how things are moving…and they are. I’ve been feeling great and though I struggle daily with my thoughts about failure and eating right, I’ve found a blog that I love reading and listening to. His blog post on willpower is so cool that I’m posting a link here to get you to read it. Dean Dwyer is my new hero. It’s like he’s telling my story about his health and well-being. You can read his blog post about willpower by clicking here.
Thanks for catching up with me and don’t forget to read Dean’s Blog! Thanks!
240 and counting…
I stopped caring about my weight in 2001. I remember running the day before 9/11. I think I even remember running through the Montrose area the day after and remember looking up at the sky and it being so quiet. There were no planes allowed in the air and it was quiet. I always brought $5 with me to buy a bottle of water or a watermelon Gatorade when I got to the little store on Westheimer. It wasn’t much. But this was my routine. I can still remember the taste of the Gatorade on some days…even though they don’t make that flavor anymore.
I was really stressed during this time of my life. Even though I had a pretty good job that I somewhat enjoyed, I knew it was time for a change. I lost my job by the end of September. I’d like to say it was because of the economy crashing or that parties were being cancelled…even though this was true. I got fired but I wasn’t afraid for some reason. I even ended the call I was on with the employment office to file for unemployment benefits. I drove over to Copy.Com in the Montrose and I sat at the counter and thumbed through a book of artwork to choose the new logo of my new catering company I would start. I continued my exercise and eating well through this difficult time. But, something changed. By the end of October I was eating fast food. By the end of November I had stopped running. By New Years Eve I had gained several pounds but I wasn’t terribly unhappy. I just felt depressed in ways I had not thought imaginable. Maybe it was the shock of all that horrible stuff that happened on 9/11. Maybe it was losing my job. Maybe it was all the crummy stuff I had to deal with during that time of my life….but the bottom line is I simply stopped caring about my self.
Two months ago I stopped drinking Diet Coke. I weighed about 265 pounds. I felt dead on the inside…but I kept going on with my life. I wasn’t particularly unhappy; just not happy. I stopped drinking Diet Coke because the pain I had in my body wouldn’t subside no matter how many pills I’d take. So I started drinking water and stopped the sodas. I had to try something…anything. A few weeks after stopping the sodas, I started to feel less bloated and less swollen around my joints and knees. My doctor gave me more encouragement to work out with a personal trainer by giving me a gift card and a phone number to Tom Jackobs here in Houston. He was a personal trainer who is also an author who wrote Get Off Your Butt and Do Something. Tom and I met one day in his office and I was really nervous. But he was so understanding and patient with me that I soon found myself willing. I was willing to make a change in my life. But not just a quick change that would be a quick fix…but like a permanent change for my life. I’d not felt this certain about making changes for my life since I got sober over 14 years ago. I’m not sure what switch got flipped while I talked with him, but I’m glad it did.
Since that day I’ve worked out at least two times a week at Tom’s gym. The trainers are really so nice, but they push me and give me encouragement. Rayme has been my favorite since I joined. I feel safe with her and like I have a partner…I’m not alone. Tom is there most of the time and we say hello…I feel like he’s always rooting for me even if he doesn’t actually say it in those words.
I’ve found a new love of Memorial Park and the track around Rice University. Three miles that I’ve gotten down to about 43 minutes. I started at an hour. But I’ve walked faster and faster every time. I actually started to run yesterday…my body felt lighter and like I could handle it.
I weighed myself this morning. I weigh 240 pounds. I expect that I’ll break into the 230’s this week and I can actually see the 220’s in my view. My body is looking good…and I’m getting compliments now. Monday starts The Meltdown Challenge with Tom. There are 10 people in the challenge and the winner gets a pretty cool prize. Tomorrow I’ll be planning out my meals and portioning foods. I’m excited and even a little scared. I’m writing this post because I have to make it public what I’m dealing with and what I’m going through. I know it will help other people. I know it’s helped me. The challenge is for 28 days. Since this is my birthday month (on the 10th) I thought it would be a great way to celebrate. My goal is to lose 20 pounds. I haven’t seen 220 pounds since 2001, but I know it’s coming again. I’ll keep posting my progress and challenges and I hope you’ll support me in this. The weight thing is just really for fun. My feeling good is most important to me these days. And I feel good.
I’ll write again this week to update you. If you have questions about what I’m doing or want to encourage or support or even play with me…I would really love that! Feel free to email me or message me here. I’ll share whatever I can so that we all win. Thanks in advance for your love and support!
Only You Can Prevent This…
When I was younger we had to do a project in school. I was very excited about it, because once my teacher told me what the project was going to be, I immediately knew what I was going to do! I didn’t tell anyone because I didn’t want anyone to take my idea! (Something I continue to do to this day for some reason.) Anyway….we had to create a poster demonstrating Fire Prevention…it was Fire Prevention week as I remember. The Fire Marshall and Smokey The Bear were going to come to our school and judge the posters for the best one! I was so excited. I loved Smokey The Bear. I had a hat just like this one when I was in school…and I just loved him so much. 
I ran home to put my poster together and I kept it all very secret. I worked quietly on it in my room upstairs. The shag carpet burning my knees as I carefully placed each piece of magic on the poster board. It was a white poster board. So anything that showed up on it would be bright and stark. I loved the white space…so much room to create with.
I brought my poster to school the day the judging was supposed to take place. I was nervous. I couldn’t focus on anything until I knew for sure Smokey had seen my poster. I just knew he was going to love it. And the Fire Marshall was particularly handsome, which didn’t seem unusual to me. I didn’t know all the other boys didn’t care about such things. But I just knew I was going to impress him, too.
We went to the gymnasium where all of the posters where hanging around the walls of the gym. We all walked around the gym and admired each other’s work. I already knew mine was going to win so all of this was just a formality you see. But I walked around smugly and so confident of my work. I even remember passing my poster thinking it was so awesome and brilliant. And it was…and so was I for thinking of it. Such a smart little boy I was. Until…
The Fire Marshall and Smokey The Bear walked into the gym and walked around looking at all the posters. My heart raced. Would he love it as much as I’d hoped he would?? Would he break into applause? How would Smokey show how much he loved me and my poster? A hug? A handshake? I was ok with all of the options!
They walked up to my poster and were whispering to each other. This was it. It was a quiet conversation confirming the obvious. The Fire Marshall took my poster from the wall. He rolled it up and handed it to the lady who was walking around with the entourage. They walked around the room to look at the other posters and I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest! This was EVEN BETTER THAN I HAD HOPED! They loved it so much they had to take it on stage with them to show everyone! Finally…my genius would be rewarded!
They handed the rolled up poster to my teacher. She looked over at me and smiled. I grinned back at her on the edge of my seat. They were going to ask me to come up so I had to get ready to excuse myself down the aisle of losers sitting beside me. Poor kids. They didn’t know what was about to happen.
As I stood up and walked toward my teacher, she leaned down and said she was sorry. My poster had been disqualified. What the hell is disqualified? What did that mean? Did that mean it was so extraordinary that it had this special term I had never heard of? Unfortunately, it did not.
Needless to say I didn’t win any awards that day. I didn’t win anything but confusion and heartbreak. I was devastated. But I loved my poster and remembered what I had done for many years after.
One day, about 6 months ago I was reminded of that experience when I was on a shopping app on my iPad. It literally made me gasp. Did they know? Was this a sign of some type from the universe? What in gay hell had just happened?? There it was. A piece of artwork that looked so similar to my childhood poster that the same body sensations I’d had so long ago were suddenly present all over again. Smokey had came to my mind all over again.
The poster I made was made with matches that spelled out “DON’T PLAY WITH MATCHES!”
This was the poster I saw (and immediately ordered online!)
The art was done by an artist and here’s her statement about creating it:
Artist Dánica Conneely explains her process in crafting this work of art. “I laid each individual piece down with tweezers. It took me all night. I should have lit it on fire after I was done.” This print stems from a photograph of the innovative work that will inspire you to think different and create boldly.
I don’t have a picture of the poster I did. But I never forgot it. And now that I’ve got this print, which will be hanging in my office very shortly, I don’t ever have to. I love what the artist says that it will hopefully inspire you to think differently and create boldly. Which, even as a child, I was already doing. Thank you Smokey!
P.S. I think it’s funny that I also got a link sent to me in an email several years ago if I remember correctly. The link took me to this picture…which I still remember laughing my ass off….it still makes me!
To Me….
I wanted to share this picture with you. I don’t remember where I got it from. But I love it.
So I was thinking of you when I ran across it today.
The New iPad…
Of course you know by now that I am an absolute fanboy of the highest magnitude. When I first heard about the new iPad I was really excited. I wasn’t sure why I was excited other than the usual reasons. But something seemed really amazing about this particular iPad. I remember when the iPhone 3 switched to iPhone 4 with the Retina Display. My eyes were completely shocked! It was so hard to look at the iPhone 3 after that…it looked crappy! I couldn’t imagine that my eye had not caught the lack of detail that I now saw on my new iPhone. This experience was the exact same thing when I opened the box to my new iPad. Looking at the comparisons of the iPad 2 and the new iPad it really is hard to tell from looking at the screen. It’s like watching a preview for an iMax movie on a standard definition television screen! You can’t explain it. You just have to see it.
I could feel another difference immediately was the weight. It isn’t much heavier. But I’m amazed at how much a difference this makes in my hand. The weight, of course, is to make room for the new battery that is required for the new iPad and you can feel it. You can also feel the heat from the battery when it is processing all the data for the retina screen. It’s not terribly annoying, but you do feel it. I guess its a trade off for a beautiful screen shot! If you didn’t have an iPad 2 it probably won’t be noticeable. But you will certainly love the lighter feeling and thinness if you are moving from a first generation iPad.
The new camera is pretty amazing as well. It’s a similar camera to the iPhone 4S, which I take ALL my pictures with. It’s such an amazing camera that I just can’t imagine using anything else, short of moving to an actual professional camera. I love the Apps I can use to edit the photos and really love the Photo Stream capabilities that the iCloud makes possible. I can now take a picture on my iPhone and immediately edit it on my iPad, which has a lot more apps to choose from and is easier to see the details.
I can’t tell you to run out and get a new iPad just yet. The problem with upgrades in technology moving and changing so quickly is that we’ve come to expect massive leaps. This isn’t a massive leap, and probably not a required leap. But I will tell you that looking at the screen and feeling the power behind the processor and the LTE connection speed…which is WAY faster than my home internet connection…makes it a compelling reason to update. I’m one of the early adopters, meaning I love the cutting edge stuff that isn’t all worked out and perfect. I love the exploration of new products. And, lets be honest, no technology upgrade in the last three years is done and completed they are all moving forward in ways we’ve never imagined. If you have an iPad 1, I’d say go upgrade immediately. You will NOT regret it at all. If you have an iPad 2, I’d say you could wait for the next version of the iPad, but you don’t have to. It is here now. The future of tablets IS this new iPad and lucky for your eyeballs, it’s here to stay.
If you have questions or comments, let me know! This is a very brief review of the new iPad. I’ll post more articles as I get more experience with it. For those of you who’ve gotten your new iPad today…welcome to the future in your hands!
Cucumber Water
Today we served cucumber infused water with different herbs. I swear it was so awesome!!!
Downtown Harold's Place 