A quick view of liquidambar styraciflua seed pods opening and releasing their seeds over the course of 4 days. I plan on doing an actual timelpase of this process in the near future, too.
Check out my collection of gardening essays, “From A Gardener’s Notebook” now available as a Kindle eBook. (You don’t need a Kindle to read it, though. Read it on your PC, Link: http://j.mp/fagnbook
“In the garden…” is a series for A Gardener’s Notebook highlighting what is happening in my garden, my friend’s gardens and California gardens throughout the seasons.
More information on Douglas E. Welch and Careers in New Media:
“Essentially, it is a challenge to do a podcast for 30 days in a row.
In 2012 Kreg Steppe was looking to give himself a little push in regards to recording his own personal podcast since he wasn’t recording it very often. That turned into a challenge for himself to record a show everyday for 30 days believing that after 30 days it would turn into a habit. Once it was mentioned to Chuck Tomasi he took the challenge too and they decided it would be a great idea to record starting 30 days before Dragon*Con, culminating with the last episode where they would record it together when they saw each other there.”
There are times I wish I had the precision of NASA as I launch into my week each Monday. I make lots of check lists and plans, but life is never something that respects plans greatly. There are too many unknowns in life to allow too much planning, so we come up with a few scenarios, a few goals and hope that circumstances go along with those plans.
As you might imagine, while circumstances and our plans sometimes match up, it is much more common for life to fly apart, go chaotic and make us improvise perhaps a bit more than we might like. This can be very stressful depending on the cause of the chaos and the results, but without these improvisational moments life would certainly be a lot more dull. We might not enjoy it much when we are in the middle of a crisis but in many cases it can make our life better — if we let it.
Playing music with Lorilyn
Life chaos requires the ability to let go of trying to control what you cannot and make the best of what you given. Fear and our own arrogance can often cause us to flail about and fight against what is happening, even if would be better for everyone involved to go with the flow. The ability to recognize chaotic moments and ride them out with style is definitely one trait you should look to cultivate. I can guarantee that it will do more good than all the authoritarian bluster you can manage.
Plan your life and your actions,of course, but then treat each day like a Jazz tune where all the musicians follow a basic track, but then are encouraged and challenged to make their own song in and around the basic framework the songwriter created. Life is often nothing but improvisation, so the more you cultivate it, the better off you will be.
More information on Douglas E. Welch and Careers in New Media:
“Essentially, it is a challenge to do a podcast for 30 days in a row.
In 2012 Kreg Steppe was looking to give himself a little push in regards to recording his own personal podcast since he wasn’t recording it very often. That turned into a challenge for himself to record a show everyday for 30 days believing that after 30 days it would turn into a habit. Once it was mentioned to Chuck Tomasi he took the challenge too and they decided it would be a great idea to record starting 30 days before Dragon*Con, culminating with the last episode where they would record it together when they saw each other there.”
Check out my collection of gardening essays, “From A Gardener’s Notebook” now available as a Kindle eBook. (You don’t need a Kindle to read it, though. Read it on your PC, Link: http://j.mp/fagnbook
“In the garden…” is a series for A Gardener’s Notebook highlighting what is happening in my garden, my friend’s gardens and California gardens throughout the seasons.
More information on Douglas E. Welch and Careers in New Media:
“Essentially, it is a challenge to do a podcast for 30 days in a row.
In 2012 Kreg Steppe was looking to give himself a little push in regards to recording his own personal podcast since he wasn’t recording it very often. That turned into a challenge for himself to record a show everyday for 30 days believing that after 30 days it would turn into a habit. Once it was mentioned to Chuck Tomasi he took the challenge too and they decided it would be a great idea to record starting 30 days before Dragon*Con, culminating with the last episode where they would record it together when they saw each other there.”
There’s a wealth of YouTube-to-GIF services out there, but the newest kid on the block makes the barrier to entry a mere three keystrokes and a click or two. With GIF YouTube, you’ll be throwing around bespoke reaction GIFs in no time.
GoPro video cameras are fantastic for underwater shooting, but they have one fatal flaw: they sink like a stone. YouTube channel Wandering Designers shows how to turn a standard bottle cap into a cheap float for GoPro, to be used with any drinks bottle.
What do you blog? It sounds ridiculous. It sounds a little silly, but the fact is — everything. By that I mean, everything that means something to your clients. First of all, one of the craziest rules about the Internet, which goes totally against modern mainstream mass media is — you actually no idea who your audience is. You can’t say — you may say, “Aw, I’m going to target males 25 to 35 with this much income.” It doesn’t really matter, because these days, outside of mass media, your audience had to find you — going back to the search engines again. It’s your job to put stuff out there so that people can stumble upon you. There’s actually a web site called StumbleUpon you might played around with a little bit. It is by putting your information out there that you allow people to stumble upon you. You want to get your message out there so that when people are searching on accounting, up you pop. When they’re talking to a friend, their friend will say “Oh here’s a great web site I found about that and pass that along.
Carmello lived and worked as a potter in the little village of Agira on the big island of Sicily.
The village sat high on a rocky mountain. All the water for drinking and cooking had to be gathered from springs in the valley far below. The villagers would place the water in large jars strapped to the backs of their donkeys and then walk back up the mountain to their homes.
It was a hot, dry summer. Many of the springs had stopped running. People needed more water but t here were not enough jars to hold all the water they needed.
The village leaders came to Carmello’s workshop.
“Carmello, we need more water jars or we will surely die of thirst,” said the villagers. “Surely, I cannot make so many water jars in time,” said Carmello. “We would need hundreds to bring water to every house. I don’t think I can help you. We may all have to leave Agira and live in the valley closer to the springs.”
No one wanted to leave Agira. They loved their little village.
The Villagers begged, “Please Carmello, please, please try to help us. Our families have lived in Agira for thousands of years. We can’t leave now. It would break our hearts.”
Carmello knew there was no way he could make enough water jars before the village ran out of water completely. Even so, Carmello decided to try. He knew he must help his fellow villagers in any way he could. They had helped him so many times in the past.
“Bring me as much clay as you can and what little water is left, ” said Carmello. “I will start this minute. We have so little time left.”
The villagers gathered all the remaining water and brought it to Carmello’s shop. Men went to the valley to dig clay and bring it back up the mountain. The men worked hard, not drinking from their water jugs so that Carmello could use it for his work.
Inside the cool darkness of Carmello’s workshop the villagers could hear the spinning of his potter’s wheel and the slap of his hands against the clay.
Carmello worked all day. He worked as the sun went down. The villagers could still hear Carmello working as they lie in their beds that night. They villagers could not sleep. If Carmello couldn’t make enough water jars they would all have to leave their homes and the village they loved.
Carmello worked very hard. His hands hurt badly as he shaped each jar. The sweat fell from his face and became part of each jar he created. Carmello was so tired. He felt he could not go on much longer. He slowly raised his head from his work. On a shelf in the workshop Carmello’s eyes fell upon a statue of San Fillipo; a statue he had made with his own hands.
“Oh, San Filippo, you have always protected our village in the past. Please, please show me the way!”
Carmello, tired as he was, set to work once more. He started spinning his potter’s wheel once again.
As the morning sun rose over the village of Agira many townspeople made their way to Carmello’s workshop. Many had not slept at all that night. They tossed and turned in their beds fearing that they would have to leave Agira forever.
The scene outside Carmello’s shop caused everyone to stop and stare. No one could believe what they were seeing. All around Carmello’s workshop where stacked hundreds and hundreds of water jars, more than enough for everyone in town. They were so many jars that the villagers couldn’t get near the workshop itself.
Even more strange was the fact that each water jar bore a picture of San Filippo.
“How could Carmello have done all this work and still decorated them so beautifully,” wondered Marcello?
“There was not enough clay and water to make all these jars,” said Daniella.
Eventually, the villagers shook off there wonderment as they realized there was still much more work to be done. The jars had to be strapped to their donkeys, walked down to the valley, filled with water and then returned to each home.
The men started to carry the jars to their donkey, but they nearly dropped the jars in their amazement.
“The jars are full of water, ” shouted several men at once! The villagers cheered with joy at such good news.
“I don’t know how Carmello accomplished this amazing feat, ” said the Mayor, “but I shall congratulate him myself as soon as we can clear a path to his door.”
All the villagers, men, women and children began carrying water jars to their homes and shops, praising Carmello’s work with every step. After an hour or more a path was finally cleared to the door of Carmello’s workshop.
“Carmello,” the men cried! “Come out and receive our deep gratitude!” Carmello did not reply.
“Perhaps he is asleep after his hard labor,” said Serafino. “So much work would tire a hundred men.”
Not wanting to wake Carmello, the men opened the workshop door slowly and quietly. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the darkness. Carmello was no where to be found. The men looked throughout the small workshop. They checked in Carmello’s small house nearby. They even checked in the surrounding fields and hills.
The only sign of Carmello was the statue of San Filippo, the one Carmello himself had made. The statue sat on the stool next to the potter’s wheel. Carmello’s shirt was draped around the statue’s shoulders.
More information on Douglas E. Welch and Careers in New Media:
“Essentially, it is a challenge to do a podcast for 30 days in a row.
In 2012 Kreg Steppe was looking to give himself a little push in regards to recording his own personal podcast since he wasn’t recording it very often. That turned into a challenge for himself to record a show everyday for 30 days believing that after 30 days it would turn into a habit. Once it was mentioned to Chuck Tomasi he took the challenge too and they decided it would be a great idea to record starting 30 days before Dragon*Con, culminating with the last episode where they would record it together when they saw each other there.”
Another video recipe for this year’s Dog Days of Podcasting – a Quick Rice Pilaf
Quick Rice Pilaf
I used orzo in this recipe, but small pieces of angel hair pasta, or vermicelli are traditional in rice pilaf, too.
2 Tbsp unsalted butter ¼ cup (1-inch pieces) angel hair pasta, vermicelli or orzo ½ yellow onion, finely diced or chopped 1 cup long grain white rice Coarse salt Pepper 1 ½ cups chicken stock, vegetable stock (or water)
Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add pasta, and stir to coat with butter Cook (uncovered), stirring until golden , about 2 minutes Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 4 minutes Add rice, stirring to coat evenly with butter Add 1 tsp salt, pinch pepper (or to taste)
Pour in stock or water and bring to boil Cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer until rice has absorbed all the liquid, about 15 minutes Remove from heat, let sit 5 minutes, fluff with fork and serve
More information on Douglas E. Welch and Careers in New Media:
“Essentially, it is a challenge to do a podcast for 30 days in a row.
In 2012 Kreg Steppe was looking to give himself a little push in regards to recording his own personal podcast since he wasn’t recording it very often. That turned into a challenge for himself to record a show everyday for 30 days believing that after 30 days it would turn into a habit. Once it was mentioned to Chuck Tomasi he took the challenge too and they decided it would be a great idea to record starting 30 days before Dragon*Con, culminating with the last episode where they would record it together when they saw each other there.”
What an ugly, ugly bug to deploy to thousands of Chrome users. I noticed this today when my Google Analytics page started playing help videos every time I reloaded the page. Android Poilce blog indicates this was a bad push of new YouTube software that manifested itself in the Chromecast app.
Disable the Google Cast extension in Chrome to alleviate the problem until Google provides a fix. — Douglas
A strange bug has been affecting a subset of Chrome users since Monday: Embedded videos have started to automatically play as soon as a user opens the page that contains the video. However, this only happens if users also have the Google Cast extension installed, which is being used to send content directly from a Chrome browser to Google’s Chromecast streaming stick.
As I have often said in past columns and speaking engagements, telling people “what you do and how well you do it” is of the utmost importance in any career today. Even so, we can all have difficulty in finding ways to share this message with those around us. You might wonder what you can and should be saying about your work and career. In an effort to move you forward in promoting your own work, here are a few example methods for sharing your work and gaining larger benefits from your skills and knowledge.
First, while you may not realize it, each of us has our own personal philosophy about our work and career. We have lessons we have learned, skills we have developed and stories to tell. You don’t have to be some famous business writer with a best selling book to start sharing your philosophy, though. Even those writers had to start somewhere. They had to learn a lot about business in order to get where they are today, developing their philosophy as they went. You should be be doing that, too.
Start collecting the stories of your life and work that illustrate your beliefs and philosophy about work, business, personal interactions, teamwork, whatever most draws your attention. Make a point of writing notes when you come across a particularly useful, intelligent or life changing thought. If you don’t capture them as they happen, they will quickly disappear. Then, more importantly, start sharing these thoughts with your family, friends and coworkers. What is their response to your ideas? Was it useful to them, too? What changes or new thoughts come to mind when you discuss your ideas with them? How can you grow a small idea into something larger?
These small actions are the beginnings of your overall life philosophy. I know, philosophy might feel like a overly dramatic word for your ideas, but trust me, it isn’t. Your ideas have power far beyond what you might believe at first. They can change both you and the world around you. Don’t dismiss them out of hand. Think of your ideas as a philosophy and you will start to feel just how important they are. You will also begin to internalize your own philosophy, reinforce what it means to you and use it grow in your own life and career. In this way, you become a living example of your philosophy and your life becomes a story that you can share with others in hopes of improving their lives, too.
Next, start sharing your philosophy with a larger audience. You don’t have to stand on a street corner proclaiming your philosophy, but you certainly want to be sharing it with your co-workers, managers, online via a blog, discussion group or video series. Find concrete examples of how you can apply your philosophy to the issues of your family, your office, your business sector or the world at large. Not only will this help others who are struggling with the same issues as you, ift will force you to think more deeply about your philosophy and how it might grow and change to better meet your needs and the needs of those around you. Each expansion or refinement to your philosophy brings more and more benefit as you develop more ways of having a positive impact on their world around you.
For the next week or so, I want you to focus on your philosophy? What rules have you developed in your work over the years? What methods? What skills? What do you believe deeply about your work, your profession, your society, your world? What stories shaped those beliefs? What were the direct learning experiences that brought about your philosophy? What can others learn from your experience? How can you best share it with those who might need it most?
Now, in preparation for sharing your philosophy with others, why don’t you share it with me. Tell me some of your great career and life stories that shaped your philosophy. Share your ideas for creating a better life and career for yourself and what others can learn from it. I believe we all have something important that we have learned, developed or created. We are all an expert in something. If you have one more idea or one more experience than someone else, they want and need your expertise. Actively reach out and share your expertise with those who want and need it most. Not only will you help them. You’ll also be helping to to build the career you deserve.
“Essentially, it is a challenge to do a podcast for 30 days in a row.
In 2012 Kreg Steppe was looking to give himself a little push in regards to recording his own personal podcast since he wasn’t recording it very often. That turned into a challenge for himself to record a show everyday for 30 days believing that after 30 days it would turn into a habit. Once it was mentioned to Chuck Tomasi he took the challenge too and they decided it would be a great idea to record starting 30 days before Dragon*Con, culminating with the last episode where they would record it together when they saw each other there.”
“Essentially, it is a challenge to do a podcast for 30 days in a row.
In 2012 Kreg Steppe was looking to give himself a little push in regards to recording his own personal podcast since he wasn’t recording it very often. That turned into a challenge for himself to record a show everyday for 30 days believing that after 30 days it would turn into a habit. Once it was mentioned to Chuck Tomasi he took the challenge too and they decided it would be a great idea to record starting 30 days before Dragon*Con, culminating with the last episode where they would record it together when they saw each other there.”
Troll n Internet slang, a troll is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, either accidentally or with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response — Wikipedia
One grows weary of trolls. I don’t mean just those found on the Internet, either, although they are the most discussed these days. Trolls are to be found everywhere — online and offline. Tragic and dramatic events bring them out in droves and it is more and more difficult to avoid them. Their posts and comments litter your Facebook and Twitter feeds and their words float, unwanted across your local coffee shop or bar.
Trolls are the way they are for some reason, even if I cannot define it. They must receive some internal reward from their trolling behaviors. They must revel in the responses their words receive, but as someone who does not believe in such behaviors, I have no frame of reference to understand it. I only see the results — the animosity they trail behind them. This often makes me think of Shelley’s Poem, Ozymandias. “Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Despair is exactly what I feel when I see trolls and their “works”. Are trolls really more common now or do they just have better distribution? I think a bit of both. There is a pettiness and a meanness throughout society these days. Some find it much too easy to judge, to slight, to punish those around them — sometimes for the slightest or most non-existent reasons. They take joy, glee even, in making others lives just a bit more difficult, a bit more troubled, a bit less happy.
Let us reject these trolls wherever we see them. Let us reduce the effect they have by showing clearly the flaws and animosity of their efforts. Let us not reward trolls for their behavior, but rather cause them suffer consequences for their anti-social and arrogant acts. Let us hold others to higher standards and not let them lower everyone’s standards to their level.
We are all to blame in some small way for allowing trolls the power they take. We laugh alongside them. We silently enjoy the havoc they bring and the pain they cause. Instead, let us turn away from trolls and make it very clear that we do not approve. We do not commiserate with them. We do not tacitly support them. Let us shun them and instead turn to making the world — or even just our small part of it — perhaps just a little bit better.
Remember, “The Only Thing Necessary for the Triumph of Evil is that Good Men Do Nothing.” Do something or we are all sure to be buried beneath a mountain of trolls.
More information on Douglas E. Welch and Careers in New Media:
“Essentially, it is a challenge to do a podcast for 30 days in a row.
In 2012 Kreg Steppe was looking to give himself a little push in regards to recording his own personal podcast since he wasn’t recording it very often. That turned into a challenge for himself to record a show everyday for 30 days believing that after 30 days it would turn into a habit. Once it was mentioned to Chuck Tomasi he took the challenge too and they decided it would be a great idea to record starting 30 days before Dragon*Con, culminating with the last episode where they would record it together when they saw each other there.”
Ingredients 3-4 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 pound ground turkey 1 chopped onion 2 chopped garlic cloves 1-2 chopped fresh red chiles (optional) – I substitute a dash of red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper 1 Tbsp peeled ginger, grated fine 1 cup water Salt and black pepper to taste 1 Tbsp garam masala 1Tbsp Curry powder 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed 2-4 Roma or other plum tomatoes, diced or 1 cup tomato sauce 1 cup fresh or frozen peas 1/2 cup (loosely packed) chopped cilantro or parsley
Directions
Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large pot with a lid. When the oil is hot, add the ground meat, spreading it out over the pan.
Cook the meat without stirring, until it begins to brown.
Add the chopped onion and chiles. Stir and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until the onion begins to color a bit. Sprinkle salt and pepper over everything.
Add the grated ginger and garlic, mix well and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
Mix in the spices and cook them with the meat and vegetable mixture. Watch closely to insure they do not burn.
Add water, tomatoes (or tomato sauce) and the potatoes.
Stir to combine and cover.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
When the potatoes are tender add the peas. Mix well and cover the pot. Cook 2-3 minutes.
Add salt and pepper, if needed, to taste.
Right before you serve, mix in the chopped cilantro. Serve alone or with flatbread or white rice.
More information on Douglas E. Welch and Careers in New Media:
“Essentially, it is a challenge to do a podcast for 30 days in a row.
In 2012 Kreg Steppe was looking to give himself a little push in regards to recording his own personal podcast since he wasn’t recording it very often. That turned into a challenge for himself to record a show everyday for 30 days believing that after 30 days it would turn into a habit. Once it was mentioned to Chuck Tomasi he took the challenge too and they decided it would be a great idea to record starting 30 days before Dragon*Con, culminating with the last episode where they would record it together when they saw each other there.”
We talk about advertising a lot in the podcasting world and the blogging world and the web world and I often use the analogy of if you are, you have an alpaca farm up in Northern California and you make the world’s best, finest alpaca yarns. Where should you be spending your advertising dollars? Are you going spend your advertising dollars during CSI at 9 o’clock on CBS where less than 1% of the audience wants to hear your message? Or are you better off advertising on a knitting blog or a knitting podcast of which there are probably at least 35 of them a last count I saw in the iTunes Podcast Directory – where 99% of the people want to hear your message. That’s what the power of blogging, the power of web sites, the power of New Media brings to you. it’s talking to the people who want to hear your message. In fact, through the search engines, they’re seeking you out. They’re coming to your site saying, “Oh, they do accounting consulting. They do computer consulting. They do life coaching. Through a search engine they found your web site. The trouble is, your web site has to be out there telling people that’s what you do so that the search engine find you and presents your results to these people so that they can then come to your web site.
Today’s In the Garden… video js an an exploration of the colors, textures and movements of the garden over a lovely soundtrack by composer Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com)
Kevin has recently been hired by YouTube to create more music for the recently added YouTube Audio Library. All the music is free to use (and monetize) on your YouTube videos.
Check out my collection of gardening essays, “From A Gardener’s Notebook” now available as a Kindle eBook. (You don’t need a Kindle to read it, though. Read it on your PC, Link: http://j.mp/fagnbook
“In the garden…” is a series for A Gardener’s Notebook highlighting what is happening in my garden, my friend’s gardens and California gardens throughout the seasons.
Polaroid, a company best known for its instant photographs, has launched the Cube, a tiny but durable full HD camera.
The Cube shoots 1080p video and captures 3MP photos with its 124-degree wide angle lens. The battery is built in and rechargeable using a USB cable (Micro SD card not included).
“Essentially, it is a challenge to do a podcast for 30 days in a row.
In 2012 Kreg Steppe was looking to give himself a little push in regards to recording his own personal podcast since he wasn’t recording it very often. That turned into a challenge for himself to record a show everyday for 30 days believing that after 30 days it would turn into a habit. Once it was mentioned to Chuck Tomasi he took the challenge too and they decided it would be a great idea to record starting 30 days before Dragon*Con, culminating with the last episode where they would record it together when they saw each other there.”
