A Connected World

click to enlarge

I created this connection-map yesterday as I was browsing through the web, rummaging from place to place for over 4 hours. It wasn't that my attention span was being compromised like the common 'A.D.D syndrome' everyone is suspected of having, but rather one thing lead my genuine interest to another; digestible bits of information that left me craving more.

After countless bits of information, for some reason I wanted to outlay this vision - to display how I had come to this very seemingly methodical browsing, and what it looked like on paper. I went back through my web history and connected the pieces visually, and it manifested itself as this document - A timeline and interconnected network of information, of people and products - one referring to the next.

As the world grows connections through technology, we are left with a vision similar to this. Our ancestors only had a physical connection that existed only in the small time and space surrounding them, unlike the ubiquitious digital connections we make today. Digital is fast; digital is everywhere - these personas are manifestations of the people themselves as 'profiles' in a digital world; the 'profile' - a digital link to a physical person in a digitally connected web-space; it is now, it is the future.

Warhol was right in his 1968 statement of in the future everyone will have 15 of fame, although he knew this by 1978, so it's no new realization, but perhaps the reflection upon it in today's society is something that marvels us. It is possible to put your message out there and establish a connection with millions of people. It is still apparent that in pure numbers, females get a significantly larger following than males - most likely from anthropological roots, but besides from the 'potential suitors', I might theorize that the numbers of pure interest are approximately the same. However, these newly connected people (and the people here are in the top percentage of connected users), are only a connection away - which seemingly makes them a neighbor; someone you can related to, that has the same gadget as you, goes to the same functions, likes the same games. Some of them are brilliant, and have created concepts that millions use everyday. Some of them just likable people that spread their good humour and fun.

These connections are real, and granted it is still difficult to weed the 'fanatic' (ie. a user who is captivated by the sheer fact that other users are interested) from the 'connection' (ie. a person that shares the same interests and both people can mutual benefit the other), but this web framework paves the way for the future to come. Better and more efficient ways to connect, hold the connection, and most importantly do something with that connection (have fun, build business, philanthropic activities) are always on the horizon. So keep connecting with those that there is a mutual connection - and do something in the world - together: As there is always some problem to be solved and we can most certainly always learn from one another to be better people. Now, go :: connect

AFTER the Information Age

There was pre-industrialism. Then the Industrial Age. Now the Information Age. What's next?

Some say the *Connected Age - moving from knowledge worker to web worker and focusing on relationships and their individual dynamic processes in themselves. It is through people and our connected nature that we move to the next age.

Friendship

Book 9, Chapter 10

Should we, then, make as many friends as possible, or -- as in the case of hospitality it is thought to be suitable advice, that one should be 'neither a man of many guests nor a man with none' -- will that apply to friendship as well; should a man neither be friendless nor have an excessive number of friends?

more

discipline...

Stan: Dad, you like to drink, so have a drink once in a while. Have two! If you devote your whole life to completely avoiding something you like, then that thing still controls your life and... and you've never learned any discipline at all.
Randy: But, maybe I'm just the kind of person who needs to have it all or nothing.
Stan: No. All or nothing is easy. But learning to drink a little bit, responsibly? That's a-disiprin. Disiprin come from within.
Randy: How did I manage to raise such a smart kid?
Stan: I've had a great teacher.
Randy: Thanks, son.
Stan: No, not you. My karate teacher. He's really smart.

the GOOD samaritan

'Love the goodness of the universe (god) with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
(painting by Rembrandt)

the WOLF shirt... read these comments... hilarious

http://www.amazon.com/Three-Official-T-Shirt-Cotton-Sleeve/dp/B000NZW3IY/ref=pd_sim_a_1

google maps meets construction

finally... I have been hoping for this for a long time. Although when I did drive through it due to another wreck, I found it to be not-so accurate. I'm sure in time it will get more real-time and more accurate.

Classic Cartman moments

http://www.hecklerspray.com/south-parks-top-24-cartman-moments/200918926.php

Big Lebowski Movie - CLASSIC CLIPS of the Dude and Walter

CLASSIC CLIPS of the Dude and Walter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED4VL7W6VdQ

Reversing the Order via Email? hmmm

http://www.everyjoe.com/articles/reversing-your-email-composition/

'Experts' are like chimps?

from Op-Ed New York Times Article::

"The best example of the awe that an “expert” inspires is the “Dr. Fox effect.” It’s named for a pioneering series of psychology experiments in which an actor was paid to give a meaningless presentation to professional educators.

The actor was introduced as “Dr. Myron L. Fox” (no such real person existed) and was described as an eminent authority on the application of mathematics to human behavior. He then delivered a lecture on “mathematical game theory as applied to physician education” — except that by design it had no point and was completely devoid of substance. However, it was warmly delivered and full of jokes and interesting neologisms. Afterward, those in attendance were given questionnaires and asked to rate “Dr. Fox.” They were mostly impressed. “Excellent presentation, enjoyed listening,” wrote one.

...

The result? The predictions of experts were, on average, only a tiny bit better than random guesses — the equivalent of a chimpanzee throwing darts at a board.

...

Hedgehogs tend to have a focused worldview, an ideological leaning, strong convictions; foxes are more cautious, more centrist, more likely to adjust their views, more pragmatic, more prone to self-doubt, more inclined to see complexity and nuance. And it turns out that while foxes don’t give great sound-bites, they are far more likely to get things right.

...

Other studies have confirmed the general sense that expertise is overrated. In one experiment, clinical psychologists did no better than their secretaries in their diagnoses. In another, a white rat in a maze repeatedly beat groups of Yale undergraduates in understanding the optimal way to get food dropped in the maze. The students overanalyzed and saw patterns that didn’t exist, so they were beaten by the rodent."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/opinion/26Kristof.html?_r=1

Spring Equinox

Druids watch the sunrise as they celebrate the Spring Equinox at Stonehenge
Picture: GETTY

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/picturesoftheday/5021565/Pictures-of-the-day-20-March-2009.html?image=25

Detoxification

"Everyone has a doctor in him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food. But to eat when you are sick, is to feed your sickness" -- Hippocrates, MD, 460-377 B.C.

Read an amazing article today on the body's natural ability to heal itself.
http://curezone.com/upload/pdf/Dying_To_Get_Well.pdf

WEATHER site - great for TRAVEL

http://www.cityrating.com/cityweather.asp?City=Boston

access from my G1 - blogs as WIKIs

Tried to EDIT this blog from my G1... perhaps this can function as a type of wiki (eg. Travel process, and other public docs I create)

This concept gets me thinking about using this as an online public doc storage for myself and public access. Each blog serves up its own privacy settings, since each POSTING can't be set via security (perhaps someday). And using the tag and search intelligently I can find docs very quickly. This way I, and others with access, can access all these docs with ease.

Currently, I and saving them as documents on my computer and accessing them through my tagged prj file structure... we shall see how this develops.

google G1 android update annoyance

Simple post as I have an issue with my G1 and google mail. When editing an email and saving to a draft, each time that I open it, it adds a space after each paragraph. (eg. reopen it five times and there are 5 spaces after each carriage return)

must be an issue with the latest new android update, because I didn't notice this before

Diigo Search

Letter written to Diigo:

"I don't understand why search of title, description, notes - ANYTHING else is not searchable. For example the site 'random.org' does not show up when I type in random in the search field - even when the url, and title, and description has the word random in it. only if you tag it with 'random' will it appear - but that just doesn't make sense. Hopefully, its just a programming glitch, because I want to keep using Diigo over Delicious and other social bookmarks, but please make search a little better (at LEAST add title search)"

UPDATE - Diigo responded that they are working on hardware updates. Should have posted this information someplace much more readily accessible. Makes me think about how and and where information should be accessed (eg. a feed from diigo that says this), because it shouldn't be required that I dig through FAQs to find this type of information.

http://groups.diigo.com/Diigo_HQ/forum/topic/um-search-words-42323

2009 Government Stimulus Package

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2009/02/01/GR2009020100154.html
http://www.good.is/?p=15501

the HOMELESS

http://www.good.is/?p=4728

Carpooling in SF

http://www.good.is/?p=15403

Fuel Consumption

http://awesome.goodmagazine.com/transparency/web/trans0209gettingaround.html

Two laws of a relationship

Two Motion Laws of Relationships

A relationship is a complex entity. It is focused on growth because that is the essence of one. To either grow as people together, and/or start a life together and proceed down its path. Without such growth it seems to be a simple co-occupation of time and space to avoid loneliness. But I've come up with two laws that seem to kill a relationship

Law One: Backward Movement is all but impossible.
Just like a plastic zip-tie, relationships can move forward without much impedance. For example, taking the next step will not cause much stress and it's very easy for most people to move forward quickly. (some people will have backward movement to another's forward movement - eg. girl wants to live together, guy wants to drag his feet; in this situation there is a serious problem). However, once those steps are reached and you are at a certain level in the relationship - it is almost impossible to go backward. For example, to go from living together to just dating; or dating to just friends - seems to be extremely difficult and usually the entire relationship breaks and needs to just be cut; like the plastic tie.

Law Two: The Law of Stagnation
When two people get to a certain level and there is no forward progress, stagnation has occurred. Stagnation of any body causes it to decompose; instead movement must always be taking place. Hopefully forward movement, but some action must occur to avoid this. It is interesting that it doesn't matter about the timing of things either - rushing and jumping into a relationship and talking about living together within a month instead of a year or two will still cause the same amount of stagnation as soon as that point of motion-stillness has occurred. Granted, the rate of decomposition can also be slow or fast, but in all the same - decomposition will occur when things stop moving.

Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Beers - WHAT is IMPORTANT in life

From an email I received from my Dad:

"
Mayonnaise Jar & Two Beers...
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed..

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.


The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness..

Spend time with your children.
Spend time with your parents.
Visit with grandparents.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your spouse out to dinner.
Play another 18.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented..

The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.' The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

Please share this with someone you care about. I just did.

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... it's about learning how to dance in the rain
"