Skip to content

Category Archives: Personal Observations

Notes for the New Year

Monday, January 11, 2010

Events drive others until you prioritize, imposing some degree of control on their flow and on the degree to which that affects you – or, better yet, reversing the direction of that influence. In my case, a re-prioritization was called for by events of late last year, and one of the events affected by it [...]

Also filed in | | Comments (5)

A Baker’s Dozen plus one for 2010

Friday, January 1, 2010

It is time to offer a list of recommended additions to your daily reading list – sources that have found their way firmly on to mine over the past year. Some have clear staying power, and others are new, but promise to be keepers. I hope you will bookmark this page and give them all [...]

Also filed in | | Comments (9)

Thanks for your contributions in 2009!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Easily one of the most gratifying aspects of authoring a site like this is the interaction offered by visitors from around the world. They present thoughtful and engaging comments from which we all learn so much, not least of which, often enough, are the contributors’ own web sites. Below please find, in no particular order, [...]

Also filed in | | Comments (0)

Rigging the dice

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

From nearly the beginning, we have struggled to understand how the world around us works. But for all that we have a naturally inquisitive nature, this has never been about artless curiosity or pure research – we want to discover the mechanisms driving cause to effect. We want access to the levers of the former, and to be less at the mercy of the latter. . .

Also filed in | | Comments (0)

Shoulders of giants

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

How do they do that, these Marines? Generation after generation? In particular, how do such young Americans, so many still in their teens, shoulder such crushingly mighty burdens with such martial aplomb and dignified competence? That’s a pretty good question. . .

Also filed in Innovation | | Comments (1)

Fear of failure

Friday, September 11, 2009

It is said that Samurai warriors trained specifically to not fear death, in order to clear the way to victory. In a perverse sort of way, that sounds magnificently martial. But it’s wrong. . .

Also filed in | | Comments (1)

Sailing close to the wind

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

This metaphor is one of many used to suggest the taking of bold action at the risk of incalculable danger. It points to those – often, “leaders” – who putatively live in the fast lane, think large thoughts, dare great deeds. Even in defeat, such larger-than-life personages are wondrous, mythic, object lessons in greatness. But, have you ever been sailing?

Also filed in | | Comments (0)

Bad Behavior has blocked 723 access attempts in the last 7 days.