Too many tabs sitting open for far too long. Here we go:
Hugh Macleod on Applying "Creativity" to Your Professional Life Etc. Some nice tips, especially for those of us just starting our professional lives. Not really much to say about this, but a lot to think about. I'll probably keep this open and glance at it every once in a while despite having linked to it. (Note: This was posted on January 9th so I've had it sitting in my browser for a month!)
Andre Torrez's first Django app is a simple random color generator that is absolutely amazing and beats any other "Hello, World" I've ever seen. I'm a Rails guy and this is so cool I might just try writing my own just for kicks.
Today Is The Day is a really weird and creepy one-post blog about a day in the life of a styrofoam man. Really can't say much else about it, but it's worth checking out.
Air Traffic Controller Don Brown on air traffic safety vs. capacity. Quite an interesting and enlightening read, though probably not the best thing to read two weeks before boarding a 17-hour flight (granted I read this before I knew I'd be going back to South Africa).
I will keep doing this periodically, but it's worth noting that I'm sharing a lot more of what I come across over on Google Reader. Check out my link blog or add me as a friend directly from Google Reader/Google Chat (martingordon at gmail).
I've recently begun to think Ze Frank is the funniest man on the internet. I'm catching up on old shows since I just subscribed to his video blog/vlog/video podcast/vidcast/videoqjtnbmkjg a few days ago, when I stumbled across this gem from the July 11th show:
I run out of ideas every day! Each day I live in mortal fear that I've used up the last idea that'll ever come to me. If you don't wanna run out of ideas the best thing to do is not to execute them. You can tell yourself that you don't have the time or resources to do 'em right. Then they stay around in your head like brain crack. No matter how bad things get, at least you have those good ideas that you'll get to later.
Some people get addicted to that brain crack. And the longer they wait, the more they convince themselves of how perfectly that idea should be executed. And they imagine it on a beautiful platter with glitter and rose petals. And everyone's clapping for them. But the, but the, but the, but the bummer is most ideas kinda suck when you do 'em. And no matter how much you plan you still have to do something for the first time. And you're almost guaranteed the first time you do something it'll blow. But somebody who does something bad three times still has three times the experience of that other person who's still dreaming of all the applause. When I get an idea, even a bad one, I try to get it out into the world as fast as possible, 'cause I certainly don't want to be addicted to brain crack.
Absolutely brilliant. And the song right after it is amazing as well (though it's not for kids if you care don't want them to hear "bad" words).
Technorati Tags: Ze Frank, video podcast, vlog, video blog, vidcast, video, blog, podcast, funny, ideas, inspirational
Henry Winkler, made famous by his role as Fonzie on Happy Days, gave a speech last Friday night to Penn students as a part of the Fox Leadership Speakers' Forum.
The Fonz spoke about his life and shared some of the wisdom he's acquired along the way. All in all, it was very inspirational. Though it seems almost cliché, he stressed that we follow our instincts and think positive. The way in which he stressed these, however, was very original and funny:
You have a negative thought. Don't finish it. Don't put a period on the end of a negative thought. When a negative thought comes into your mind that is going to stop you from moving towards your dream. You say out loud, 'I'm sorry, I got no time for you now.' People will look at you very strangely, but it doesn't matter because eventually, what I've learned is, your habit becomes stopping the negative; you replace it with a positive, your shoulders pop back, your head flies back, you keep walking to your dream … It works. There is no nutritional value in negative thinking.
If you will it, it is not a dream … If you know what you want, there is such a great possibility that you will get it. That you will have it. That it is so possible.
There are plenty more gems like these in there. I strongly urge everyone to listen to it.
EDIT: Forgot the direct link to file.
Technorati Tags: Henry Winkler, insipirational, speech, Fonzie, The Fonz, Fonz, Happy Days
