Spa Watch: Week 5

--Brian DiDonato

After a week of mostly uninspiring cards made even less interesting by heavy rain, this weekend's action at Saratoga features full fields of maidens and a short, but very intriguing running of the historic Alabama. See below for analysis of some of those events.

SATURDAY
Race 2 - MSW, 2yo, (S), 1 1/16mT
Unbridled Command (Master Command), a slow-working OBSAPR buy who figured to want more ground than he got in his July 14 Belmont debut, had one of those rough first-out trips that young horses return from much better for the experience. He was green and bounced around several times, but showed a few flashes of interest that hint that there's more to him than meets the eye (TDN Video). The grey has had three steady works over the turf in the interim, and trainer Tom Bush is two-for-three over the past five years with 2-year-old second timers going dirt sprint to turf route, according DRF Formulator.

Race 6 - MSW, 2yo, 7f
If statistical records were kept for owners like they are for trainers, Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence would boast some incredible numbers with their 2-year-old firsters. Klaravich/Lawrence debuters win at an inordinate rate and often at nice prices, seemingly regardless of conditioner. They successfully unveiled two babies just last Saturday--Clip the Coupons (Congrats) here last 6.5-1 with Chad Brown and Managed Account (Malibu Moon) at 6.8-1 at Monmouth withTerri Pompay. Pompay also shipped Currency Swap (High Cotton) up to Saratoga for a jaw-dropping, 98 Beyer-earning debut two weeks ago for the Klaravich/Lawrence team at 9.9-1. Dale Romans, a capable enough debut conditioner, sends out News Pending (Harlan's Holiday) here for the connections in question. The $250,000 Timonium grad shows just five published works for this demanding seven-furlong test, but being a 2-year-old sales grad who worked fairly quickly (:10 3/5) means he's probably more seasoned than just the drills would lead one to believe. News Pending is out of a half-sister to Adore The Gold (Formal Gold), who took a maiden seller by 10 3/4 lengths first out at two before annexing a 1 1/16-mile stakes race a month later and the GII Swale S. at seven panels the following winter.

Race 9 - $50K OC, f/m, 3yo/up, 1mT
Mega Dream (Medaglia d'Oro) needs to improve significantly to contend here, but she'll be a very big price and has a chance to pull of the shocker as she tries turf for the first time. An allowance winner over Keeneland's turf-like Polytrack in April, Mega Dream is out of a half-sister to 1991 champion turf horse Tight Spot (His Majesty) as well as GISW Valiant Nature (His Majesty). Another one of Mega Dream's siblings produced MGISW Premium Tap (Pleasant Tap).

Race 10 - GI Alabama S., f, 3yo, 1 1/4m
It's Tricky (Mineshaft) is the one to beat, but an extra furlong does not seem to favor her or Plum Pretty (Medaglia d'Oro) if they take it to each other early here as they did in the nine-furlong CCA Oaks. Of the three alternatives, Royal Delta (Empire Maker) is the most formidable--and offers the best value if her 6-1 morning line proves accurate. Royal Delta was 2-1 last time--double the price of It's Tricky--off her smashing win in the GII Black-eyed Susan S., but will now be abandoned by the wagering public because of one dull race that she probably needed considering the time she missed in her training and her conditioner's well-documented patience. The Palides homebred runs like more distance will suit her, and hails from a good, stout family. She can bounce back in a big way at a price that will reflect the public's fickleness.

SUNDAY
Race 6 - MSW, f, 2yo, 5 1/2fT
Fly to the Sky (Lone Star Sky) didn't do anything particularly encouraging in her sloppy-track debut here July 25, but the Walter New homebred was entered that day for the turf and will get it this time if Mother Nature cooperates. The chestnut is the first foal out of Flying Circle (Pembroke), an accomplished turf sprint stakes winner for these connections who broke her maiden at second asking. Trainer David Fawkes does extremely well in turf sprints in general and all of the relevant subcategories therein, and scored with 9-1 2-year-old second timer Valley of Avoca (Intidab) towards the end of the Belmont meet when putting her on the turf for the first time.

Don't Read This Post!!!

You are instructed not to read this post.  Reading this post will result in the most severe penalties known to IT personnel - from restrictions on your Internet access, constant monitoring of YOUR Internet activity, to not being allowed to speak, message or even think of things that do not pertain to your job.

Repeat offenders will have the most dire of consequences - the substitution of tofu in your diet to replace bacon.

If you made it this far in the post, you are a rebel (like 99% of the working population) and likely knew I could threaten you with all kinds of evil and vile things but would have absolutely no way to enforce these rules.  You are smart enough to figure that out, so why do you think differently of your users, or if you are a manager, your team?

I have come into two organizations where the "rule book", A.K.A. the "IT policy manual" is filled with arcane rules that could not ever be enforced.  These rules typically fell into one of two categories.  They were created when "somebody" abused common sense (e.g. calling home to their overseas parents on a daily basis from their work phone) and instead of reprimanding the person, they created a rule (i.e. NO personal phone calls!).

The second category of rules are the ones created for the sheer benefit of the IT team, not the end user. (e.g. NO service if you don't jump through several hoops, I don't care if your monitor is on fire!).

There are a third category of policies and processes that are legitimate, but they tend to get lost in the "silly" rules.

There is hope.

I would suggest that you review your IT policy manual.  Not just you, but collect a group of willing users and strike a Silly Rules Committee (SRC).  Together, you can review each policy and determine why it makes sense to leave in the binder.  If you cannot pass the "reasonable" test, turf it.  You will save a lot of trees and create happier users and employees.

If you treat your team like the adults they should be (Nerf wars aside), and give them a common sense structure to work in, you will be amazed at what a small group of dedicated people can accomplish (Thanks Margaret Mead).

I'm not against rules, but if you want an innovative organization that can be responsive, create your SRC to get rid of the silly rules. Then put in the policies and structure to allow your organization to be nimble, to be secure, and be in compliance with regulatory requirements.

The large organizations are using Six Sigma to build efficiency into their processes.  Use Six Sigma tools if you have them, but a SRC is a good start.

What are the first "policies" a SRC would tackle in your organization?

Anime: 'Redline' (2009)

Saw this last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. A movie developed over seven years with great animation and soundtrack about a dangerous outer-planetary space race.



A pleasure for the senses.

Kota Tua (old city) - West Jakarta

tourism and culinary Old City Also serving Culinary Arts and Attractions, the special thing in this region is Cultural Heritage Buildings and museum located in the area such as Jakarta History Museum,

Puppet Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics Museum and the Bank museum. the Open Area is Fatahillah  Park that will take you to The Jakarta Tempo

Here's  the locations which we will explore by bicycle:

Sunda Kelapa harbor
is the traditional port of ships used from ancient times until now.

Kali Besar (big river)
we will see the legacy bridge built by the Dutch cities, including the water system.

Pekojan (plot 9)
formerly known as ethnic Arab village where he lives. Some of the old mosque stood here. One of them is Masjid An Nawier. Masjid An-Nawier has a distinctive architectural style blend of the Middle East, China, Europe, and Java. We can see a Chinese typical ornaments stuck to the doors of the mosque and the construction of the sash accented Java. Masjid Jami An-Nawier Pekojan is one of the old mosque in Jakarta today, was built in the 17th century in the era of Dutch colonial.

petak 9
is the settlement of ethnic Chinese since ancient monastery that has a lot. Along with the entry of Christianity, there was a mixing of cultures here. One is

Chinese Catholic Church architecture - St Mary de fatima
The church was established about  1952, with Chinese architecture, in the absence of a cross like the other churches. The main yard is pretty good and interesting, look at his right side there is a statue of the  Mary and little kids look so beautiful surrounded by plants. While on the left a statue of Jesus that hangs in a tower.

Here we will also see the problems of dense settlement, with increasing population. but also we will visit one of the famous places in this 9 acre plot that is:

Jakarta the capital city of Indonesia

Special Capital Region of Jakarta (DKI Jakarta) is the capital of the Republic of Indonesia. Jakarta is the only city in Indonesia that has province-level status. Jakarta is located in the northwest part of Java Island. Once known as the Sunda Kelapa (before 1527), Jayakarta (1527-1619), Batavia or Jaccatra (1619-1942), and Djakarta (1942-1972).

Jakarta has an area of ​​approximately 661.52 km ², with a total population of 9,588,198 inhabitants (2010). Jakarta metropolitan area (Greater Jakarta) with a population of around 23 million inhabitants, is the largest metropolitan area in Indonesia or a sixth of the world.

Jakarta is located on the north island of Java, at the mouth of the Ci Liwung, Jakarta Bay. Jakarta is located in the lowlands at an average altitude of 8 meters above sea level. This resulted in Jakarta is often flooded. South of Jakarta is a mountainous area with high rainfall. Jakarta crossed by 13 rivers all of which empties into the Bay of Jakarta. The most important river is Ci Liwung, which divides the city into two. Eastern and southern borders Jakarta and West Java provinces in the west bordering the province of Banten.

Thousand Islands is an administrative district located in the Jakarta Bay. Approximately 105 islands located as far as 45 km north of Jakarta.

6 Most Expensive Yachts

The Jacht was originally a lightweight Dutch naval vessel used to pursue pirates in shallow waters. When King Charles II chose to sail in one on his return to England in what would later be known as the English Restoration, the Jacht became a symbol of important and, eventually, wealth and luxury. Today, that tradition is still quite alive and nothing demonstrates that fact better than the most expensive yachts in the world.

Octopus – $200 million

Owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Octopus is the world's eighth largest yacht. The 414-foot yacht was first launched in 2003. The yacht has two helicopters, a submarine with room for ten men and seven boats. For those who'd like to see the ocean floor, the yacht even includes a remote controlled vehicle to do so.



Rising Sun – $200 million

Co-owned by Oracle's Larry Ellison and media mogul David Geffen, Rising Sun is 453-feet and five stories of oceangoing luxury. It was built with one goal in mind—to exceed the size of Paul Allen's Octopus, above. This pricey yacht has 8,000 feet of living space with onyx countertops and Jacuzzi bathrooms, a spa and sauna, a gym and even a private movie theatre with an enormous plasma screen.


Lady Moura – $210 million

This 344-foot mega-yacht is owned by billionaire Nasser Al-Rashid. It features a pool with retractable roof, a 75-foot dining table crafted by Viscount Linley and a helicopter. Lady Moura's most remarkable feature, however, is the beach resort that slides out of one side of the boat. The mini resort features not only sand and deck chairs, but even includes palm trees for a truly authentic resort experience.


Dubai – $350 million

This costly yacht has gone by three names since its conception—Platinum 525, Golden Star and, most recently, Dubai. The Platinum 525 was commissioned by Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei in 1996, but a lack of funds caused the project to be abandoned a scant couple of years later. In 2001, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, then Crown Prince and now ruler of Dubai, took over the project and renamed it the Golden Star. Dubai is as expansive as it is expensive. The 525-foot yacht features an owner's suite, five VIP suites and a number of guest bedrooms. The bridge features the captain's quarters, an office and a lounge. The foyer and atrium connects each deck while lighting them from above via skylight. The luxury yacht is powered by four diesel engines with over 9,000 horsepower altogether.


Streets of Monaco – $1.1 billion

The amazing Streets of Monaco yacht will not only rival Roman Abramovich's Eclipse (below) in price, but also in sheer audacity. Rather than being the largest or most secure yacht in the world, Monaco will feature scaled-down reproductions of landmarks from its namesake city-state. This 500-foot yacht will feature a go-kart track on deck inspired by the Monaco Grand Prix, as well as reproductions of the Hotel de Paris, La Rascasse and the Loews Hotel. It's being designed by Yacht Island Design of Derbyshire County in England and will accomodate 16 guests and 70 crewmembers. For the owner, a 4,800-square-foot suite with three floors is planned.


Eclipse – $1.2 billion

Russian billionaire and Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich's super-yacht will be a 560-foot monster requiring a minimum of 70 crewmembers and featuring eleven guests. Abramovich and his guests will be protected by a security system that uses laser bursts to foil digital paparazzi photography when activated, anti-bugging and anti-intruder systems and a missile detection system. They'll also enjoy a swimming pool that can be drained and used as a dance floor, an additional swimming pool and an aquarium. The yacht holds two helicopters, three boats and a submarine.
Source: http:likepage//worlds-most-expensive-yachts.html

Save the Libraries

chirp! chirp!

There is a tremendous lack of understanding these day of, well...of many things actually; but within the scope of this blog, the value of libraries.  I think the true value of public libraries is that they provide common ground.  This is reflected to me in two related ways.   I have a quote that I've collected recently from a UK article on libraries that articulates it one way:

"The libraries' most powerful asset is the conversation they provide – between books and readers, between children and parents, between individuals and the collective world. Take them away and those voices turn inwards or vanish. Turns out that libraries have nothing at all to do with silence." - Bella Bathurst, writer for The Observer [newspaper]

Libraries facilitate an intellectual conversation, no matter the format of the conversation or the materials on the shelves, readers, or digital devices.  This largely has to do with the training, skill, and actual practice of the job known as "librarianship".  The people that work in a library make sure by their very work that the conversations listed in the quote above can flourish.

A second way that this thing called a "library" acts as a societal leveler, is as a place where people from all walks of life can experience a certain level of equality and equitable treatment.  The physical space makes it unique in the modern world in that anyone can use it for meeting and exchange of ideas, largely free of any out-of-pocket expense.

Public libraries continue to provide free access to information in the form of books, digital files, Internet access, and government publications, all the while being dismantled bit-by-bit in the name of "lowering taxes" and "trimming the fat".  I contend that libraries, especially public and school libraries, give the most bang for the tax dollar that you can get.  HPL will be here for a while, I think.  We have benefited from the gifts of many fine residents in our town.  But Kansas libraries as a whole are being picked apart.  From elimination of funding for cheap high-speed Internet connectivity (this has already happened - funding was slashed), to statewide accessible databases of information (this funding has also been eliminated), to school libraries at every level, our State Legislature and Governor seem to be doing their best to demolish educational support of any sort.

Lastly, I am not advocating support of this project - you can make your own decisions about it, but I think it is a great idea.  Photographer Robert Dawson is touring 22 states, photographing public libraries as a commons, one of "...the things that we share as a nation - our environment, our infrastructure, our culture - the things that keep our society civil and working."

Here's the link from the comments section below:  Karin Slaughter Writes Story to Help Save Libraries

Second Chances...

--Steve Sherack

TDN’s Steve Sherack takes a closer look at a trio of promising also-rans in recent 2-year-old maiden races at Saratoga and Del Mar.

Stealcase (c, 2, Lawyer Ron--Steal the Show {SP}, by Cat Thief) became the most expensive of 17 juveniles by his ill-fated freshman sire to go through the ring this year when bringing $320,000 from trainer Mark Casse on behalf of Kentucky Derby-winning owner John C. Oxley at the OBS March sale (Breeze Video).

The chestnut left the Saratoga backstretch buzzing following a best-of-16 five-furlong bullet in :59.45 July 19, and was backed as the 8-5 favorite while debuting in a nine-horse affair at the Spa July 30 (TDN Video). A bobble at the break put Stealcase up against it from the get-go, racing in eighth in the early stages before rushing up in traffic (does this move ever work?) to sit in a close-up fourth through an opening quarter in :22.72. With Shaun Bridgmohan aboard, the April foal set his sights on the top two after angling off the rail at the head of affairs, but ran out of gas in the stretch, and had to settle for fourth, beaten 6 3/4 lengths. The final time for the six-furlong heat was 1:10.23. Stealcase earned a 72 Beyer.

Stealcase, bred in Kentucky by Secret Whispers Partnership, returned to the worktab with a five-furlong breeze in 1:01.31 at Saratoga Aug. 13. Expecting a big effort from him next time with that effort under his belt. Giant Surprise (Giant’s Causeway), a sharp 4 1/4-length wire-to-wire winner for Mike Repole and Todd Pletcher at first asking that day, has been sidelined after emerging with a condylar fracture to his left front cannon bone.

Love to Run (c, 2, Pulpit--I Love America, by Quiet American), a $190,000 OBSMAR graduate (Breeze Video), also stamped himself as one to watch with a rallying third-place finish at first asking at Saratoga Aug. 13 (TDN Video).

Given a 7-1 chance, the bay was outsprinted in seventh through an opening quarter in :22.23. Still with plenty left to do as they approached the far turn, Love to Run began to roll while taking the overland route. He drifted in after a couple of right-handers from Alex Solis once they straightened for home, but leveled out nicely thereafter to complete the trifecta, finishing only a length behind Clip the Coupons (Congrats), a first-time starter from the red-hot Chad Brown barn. The final time for six furlongs was 1:11.14. Love to Run earned a very solid 79 Beyer.

Owned by Summit Thoroughbreds and trained by John Kimmel, Love to Run’s dam I Love America is a half-sister to Ideal Image (Hennessy), who produced MGISW Sassy Image (Broken Vow). Love to Run was bred in Kentucky by Fares Farm LLC.

Also keep your eyes peeled for Peachtree Stable’s Muse of Fire (f, 2, Dixie Union--Big City Dream, by Horatius) in Southern California. The $140,000 OBSMAR juvenile (Breeze Video), conditioned by Bob Baffert, flashed some ability in her Aug. 14 Del Mar unveiling to finish a better-than-it-looked fourth at odds of 7-1 (TDN Video).

Drawn outside in post 11, the bay broke slowly and was 10 lengths back in 10th through an opening quarter in :21.85. She began to make an eye-catching move blowing past rivals while hung out at least five wide on the far turn to reach contention (maybe Mike Smith thought he was back on Zenyatta?), but couldn’t quite keep the momentum going in the stretch, reporting home six lengths adrift the winner, Silent Saga (Silent Name {Jpn}), campaigned by owner/breeder/trainer Myung Kwon Cho.

The final time in the 5 1/2-furlong event over the Polytrack was 1:03.42. The daughter of the multiple stakes placed mare Big City Dream was given a 60 Beyer. Muse of Fire was bred in Maryland by John T. Crane Jr. and Margaret M. Crane.

Bipasha Basu John Abraham Breakups – They won’t talk about this

(1) After nine years of being so close to each other, this Hot Bollywood Couple announced their breakup, industry people and the media have been constantly speculating about their current equation.



But John Abraham and Bipasha Basu, it seems, are going to stick to their long followed policy of keeping mum on personal matters.



Recently both avoiding each other when they accidentally went to their gym at the same time.



In Bollywood Industry, this was the first couple who knows to respect one another even after breakup.



(2) John Abraham and Akshay Kumar back together after seven years after “Garam Masala (2005)” Movie in Desi Boyz Movie which is directed by David Dhawan Son Rohit, is putting the finishing touches to his first directorial.



As per Latest Bollywood Interviews, Rohit said that, “Akshay was on board from day one, when I was still developing the story idea. A two-hero movie is never easy to write and it took me almost two years to put this project together. Once I felt I had justified the presence of both the protagonists, I took the script to John who’s been like a buddy since I worked as an assistant director on dad’s film, Hook Ya Crook (2010). He was convinced immediately.”

#10/10 Copious, Continuous, Infectious Passion - Crucial Survival Skills for the 21st Century CIO -

This is the last article in the series of 10 Crucial Survival Skills for the 21st Century CIO. If you haven't read the earlier postings, start your journey here.

Photo: (c) Maarten Jan Bos  - Flikr.com

Perhaps this should have been the first posting in this series.

Leadership without passion is not leadership.

It is mechanical. It can be efficient but it will never, ever embolden a team to do great things.

People follow a leader because they choose to, not because they have to.

One of the greatest skills any leader can demonstrate is a deep, genuine passion for achieving great things by empowering the people around him or her.

I've mentioned before that I play guitar. I've been playing a long time and have had the privilege of playing with some very talented musicians.  The most talented people I have played music with, share one common trait - an unbridled, copious, continuous, infectious passion for creating music.

They would seek out opportunities to play - even if no one was there to listen. They just had to do it.

Like the street musician in the photo.

It's obviously cold outside (note the gloves), but look at the smile on his face.

I can identify.  In my earlier days I can remember my bandmates and I loading a ton of sound equipment into our cars, driving for over an hour, setting up the gear, just for the opportunity to play a few songs.  We then had to disassemble the equipment, pack it up and drive home.  This didn't count the hours of practice needed to prepare.

Either we were nuts. Or we were passionate about what we did.

I love hanging around with passionate musicians. They make me want to be a better musician.

They believe the world is a better place because of music. They help me believe it too.

Their passion is infectious. Time spent with them causes me to grow.

Do people grow around you when you express your passion?

Copious, Continuous, Infectious Passion

I'm not talking about passion as in "I'm passionate about technology."  Technology quickly becomes obsolete and will let you down.  It is a very shallow thing to waste your passions on.

Passion isn't about wanting things better for yourself.  In most cases exercising your passion involves personal sacrifice and personal cost.

Passion isn't derailed by setbacks or obstacles.  Just like the fox trying to get into the hen house, you are positive that there is a way in, you just have to keep trying until you find it.

In IT leadership, you really have to believe that your organization, your industry, and even the world will be a different, better place if your team can do what it is good at. Your passion should be about creating the environment where your team can thrive in order to help your organization thrive.

It's about achieving things that haven't been done before.

It's about believing that persistence and tenacity will pay off.

It's about working hard.

It's about empowering your team to excel.

It's about continuously leading, encouraging and talking about achieving your goals.

It's about sacrificing the things that detract from achieving your goals.  (Note: I am NOT talking about relationships or family!  I am talking about things like television & wasting time on non-important activities.)

Every IT leader needs to sit down and take stock, and ask themselves the question "Why do I REALLY want to lead an IT team?" and be very honest with their answers.

If your answers have anything to do with money, power, or personal gain, we have a lot of talking to do.

People choose to follow passionate leaders.

People like to grow.  Are you helping them?

There is much, much more to say about this... but I'll end here.

Copious, continuous, infectious passion in practice looks like this:

• You clearly know why you are in your role - the real reason.  Those around you know it too because they have heard you articulate it.


• You inherently believe that there is always a way to achieve your objectives despite opposition and setbacks. You may have to adjust your timeline, but you keep your goals in mind.


• You connect with others who have a similar passion to keep your batteries charged.


• You are willing to sacrifice personal time and resources to achieve your goals.


• Your passions are aligned to a greater purpose, not personal gain. It's about your team, your organization and your industry.


• You look for every opportunity to share your passion - in person or online.  People know what you are about.

As for me, my reason for being in this role is this:

I strongly believe that our current educational system was designed for another time, and if our children are to survive and thrive in a globally competitive world they need skills and competencies that we do not currently teach.  

I believe that technology can enable and empower the development of crucial skills in our kids, but it is much more than giving each child a computer or iPad.. it's about understanding the outcomes we want to achieve, then changing the delivery of education and leveraging technology to achieve those outcomes. 

I believe that if you hire smart people, treat them like professionals and empower them, that they can achieve magnificent results.  I believe that every institution needs a team of IT professionals to be able to achieve the changes needed to thrive in this world.

That's why I'm a CIO.  I'm out to join with others who share this passion and change the world as we know it.

How about you?  How would you describe your passion?



So... that's the end of this series.

I've presented one competency per posting over the last while, and will be compiling them into one big, long post when complete. There is obviously a lot more to say about each of the competencies, and there are probably a few I've missed.  Consider this a work in progress as I continue to unpack these ideas in future posts.

Here is the list of all 10 competencies with links to previous postings.

• Competence


• Communication


• Collaboration


• Corporate Contributor


• Conceptualization


• Connector


• Community Builder


• Current


• Creativity


• Copious, Continuous, Infectious Passion

#9/10 Crucial Survival Skills for the 21st Century CIO - Creativity

This is the ninth article in the series of 10 Crucial Survival Skills for the 21st Century CIO. If you haven't read the earlier postings, start your journey here.

"Some men see things as they are and say "why?" 

I dream things that never were and say "why not?"

— Robert F. Kennedy

Margaret Atwood
Image: Wikipedia

In my file drawer I have a letter from Margaret Atwood.

If you are not from Canada, you may not have been made to read her books in high school not have an appreciation for her proclivity to produce best selling novels or books of poetry, or her passionate stance on social and environmental issues. Check out the Wikipedia page here. You will be impressed.

Margaret has been creative in the writing space for a long time. But that's not why I'm highlighting her in this post on creativity, or why I have a letter from her in my file.

One of the banes (or joys) of being a best selling author is the 'book tour'. Since Margaret had so many best selling books, she had a lot of touring to do.  For those of you who spend much time on the road living out of a suitcase, you know that the 'exotic' part of travel disappears rather quickly and being at home eating a peanut butter sandwich is about the best place in the world you can think of.

The story goes (and I believe it since I heard it directly from Margaret's son Matthew Gibson) that one day the courier stopped at Margaret's house to deliver a package.  Instead of a clipboard, he handed her his handheld device to sign.  The idea of signing something electronically and still having it be a valid, legal signature impressed Margaret. But here's where the story gets interesting and may get Matthew in trouble since I'm not sure how many people have heard this version.

Margaret is brilliant at a lot of things, but as with many of her generation, the workings of technology was not one of them.  In her mind she could envision a robotic hand with a pen, somewhere deep in the courier company that was mimicking her actions so that it could produce a valid, legal signature.  How silly is that?

She told her son about her thoughts, and Matthew chuckled because he knew technology and knew there wasn't a robotic hand...  To which Margaret replied; "Why not?  If I had a robotic hand that could sign books in a different city, then I wouldn't have to travel as much."

Matthew knew his mother and such, knew she wouldn't give up on this idea.  So he had to build it. And so, LongPen(TM) was conceived.  

He gathered some bright minds and put together a working model of a system that used video conferencing to allow authors to speak to book buyers, and haptic technology that allowed the author to hold a pen and a corresponding device would mimic the motions and pressure of the authors movements - producing a signature on a book.  

At the time I was CIO at Sheridan College and we were just fine tuning the infrastructure we had put in place to support high end videoconferencing, and needed a real life situation to case harden our environment.  We were approached by Tandberg (now Cisco) to see if we could help set up a multipoint video link between 3 countries on 2 continents with multiple locations (but we had to do it in a matter of hours).  We pulled it off, and so a brief partnership with Matthew Gibson and LongPen was established. (That's why I have a letter from Margaret).

This long story gets to the essence of this posting's critical skill - Creativity.

Margaret was unbound by the constraints of her education, knowledge or experience and as such, applied the power of creativity to envision a solution that didn't exist before to a real problem - which is the core of innovation.

Creativity

There are significant resources available on the topic of creativity and I'll present some of my favorites in a future post, but the essence of some great thinkers is that we are all born with copious amounts of ability to be creative.  We then beat it out of our kids in school by forcing them into linear thinking, memorizing of facts without application, and pressuring them to conform to an image that may be foreign to how the student is wired.  If you are a parent of a normal, active child you can identify with how difficult it is for them to sit through a class designed for quiet, compliant people.

The good news?  You can resurrect your creativity.  And you need to if you are going to be an effective 21st Century IT leader.

The competency of 'Creativity' in practice looks like this:

• You have trained yourself to be unconstrained by your education, previous experiences and biases to come up with new and novel ideas.  You know not every idea will fly, but you have a lot of good material to work with.


• You know that creativity is not an individual sport. You surround yourself with, and engage with other creative people.


• You know who Sir Ken Robinson is and have watched his TedTalk video on how schools kill creativity, or have read one of his books.


• You use visual and non-linear methods to develop new ideas:


• Brain dumps


• Sticky notes


• MindMaps


• You interact with people who don't think like you do. You read op/ed articles with opposing viewpoints, you expose yourself to ideas from people from other political parties, religions and (gasp!) even users of other operating systems (Android, Mac, Win...)


• You have defined creative spaces that work for you... your home office, the park by the lake, the Tim Horton's or Starbucks.  You know you have to get out of the "normal" to stimulate creative ideas.

Revitalizing your creativity competency is perhaps the most crucial of the skills you need to develop.  It both leverages and empowers all the other competencies.

Creativity unleashed produces passion. Creativity channeled produces innovation.

PS. If by some miracle Margaret Atwood happens to read this... Please do not judge me on my grammatical skills.


How would you describe 'creativity' in action?

I'll be presenting one competency per posting over the next while, and compile them into one big, long post when complete.

Here is the list of all 10 competencies with links to previous postings.

• Competence


• Communication


• Collaboration


• Corporate Contributor


• Conceptualization


• Connector


• Community Builder


• Current


• Creativity


• Copious, Continuous, Infectious Passion

Next posting: Copious, Continuous, Infectious Passion

Shammi Kapoor Death - was 79 years old

(1) Shammi Kapoor was really old time well-known actor. It’s really Bad Bollywood News for all actors and actresses.

As I read online their death at 14th August 2011, 5:50 am at morning time in Mumbai.

He had been hospitalized for the past month, succumbed to renal failure.

The funeral for the Bollywood legend will be held today 15th August at 11 am at Ban Ganga crematorium, Mumbai.

At last Shammi Kapoor said about Rockstar Movie that, "In my younger days, I used to play the shehnai or would enact it to perfection. I think I can do it today, also."

"As a child, Ranbir would sit on my lap and sing classical music to me. He wasn't trained in that but did it just to bug me."

(2) As per Latest his Grandson Ranbir Kapoor Interviews, he said that, "He hasn't lost his zest for life. I can't express what a big dream it was for me to work with him."

As per Latest Bollywood Interviews, Actress Sharmila Tagore said that, "He made friends with youngsters quickly."

"I think because he felt young, he was always happy and the fact that he could have a conversation with youngsters that drew them towards him."

Borobdur Temple

Borobudur temple is located in Magelang, Central Java, about 40 km from Yogyakarta. Borobudur has 10 levels consisting of 6 levels of a square, level 3 circular and a main stupa as a peak. At every level there are several stupas. Altogether there are 72 stupas in addition to the main stupa. In every stupa there is a statue of Buddha. Ten levels of Buddhist philosophy are the ten Bodhisattva levels that must be traversed to reach the perfection of the Buddha in nirvana. This perfection symbolized by the main stupa at the top level. Borobudur structure when viewed from above form a mandala depicting the structure of Buddhist cosmology and the human way of thinking.

On the fourth side of the temple there is a gate and ladder to the level above it like a pyramid. This illustrates the Buddhist philosophy that all life came from rocks. Stone later became the sand, then into plants, then into the insect, then a wild animal, and pets, and finally became a man. This process is known as reincarnation. The last process is to be the soul and finally into nirvana. Each stage of enlightenment in the process is based on the Buddhist philosophy of life depicted in reliefs and statues in the temple of Borobudur.

This huge building just a giant pile of stone blocks which have a total height of 42 meters. Each stone spliced ​​without using cement or adhesive. These stones are only connected by patterns and stacked. The base of Borobudur temple is about 118 m on each side. The stones used approximately 55,000 cubic meters. All the stones were taken from the river around the Borobudur Temple. These stones are cut and then transported and connected with a pattern like a lego game. All without using glue or cement.

Meanwhile, relief began to be made after the stones are stacked and jointed finish. There are reliefs on temple walls. Borobudur has 2670 different relief. Relief is read clockwise. This relief illustrates a story that read it from the start and ends at the gate to the east. This suggests that the main entrance of the Borobudur temple facing the east like most other Buddhist temples.

Currently, Borobudur has become a tourist attraction which attracts many tourists both local and foreign tourists. In addition, Borobudur has become a holy place for Buddhists in Indonesia and became the center of the most important annual celebration of Vesak Buddhist.

Borobudur becomes one of excellence and evidence of human intelligence has ever made in Indonesia. Borobudur become a tourist and cultural sites in Indonesia besides Bali and Jakarta. After visiting the Borobudur, you can also visit the villages around it that has some interesting sights.

What does a public library look like?

I was thinking about the future of libraries today while participating in the library board meeting.  We were talking about where we go at HPL with downloadable media of all types.  It is my current belief that libraries everywhere will be subscribing to more than one online content provider to get the broad scope of what is (and what will be) available for download.

Warehouse?

Center of the City?

Tiny kiosk?

Here's what I think will happen:  Despite all the talk about ebooks driving the future of reading / publishing, there is still an important demographic that prefers paper, or can't afford the technology, has no access to high speed Internet, or any number of other contributing factors.  The library will have another demographic to cater to - the ebook patron.  Just like before them came the downloadable audio patron, the DVD patron, the VHS patron, the tape audiobook patron, the CD music patron, the vinyl / 8-Track / microfilm / microfiche / plain-old-book patrons before them.

Ebook readers don't kill libraries.  Lack of good services for lending ebooks does.  When the publishers realize that libraries DO promote their authors and DO promote a love of reading and services like OverDrive realize loaning ematerial CAN be easy and seamless (look at 3M Cloud Library, hint, hint), libraries will integrate this new media and move on.  Afterall, libraries are so much more than the materials they loan out.  Libraries serve a function in their communities no other entity can fulfill - they cause the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States to be injected into the real world.  Sound grandiose?  It isn't - public libraries provide space to assemble, access (at least for awhile) information to allow the existence of an informed electorate, defend the freedom of speech, and ensure at least some measure of equality to all this across the increasingly disparate ends of the socio-economic spectrum.

Germanna partnering with FRED bus service

Germanna Community College has announced a partnership with FREDericksburg Regional Transit. FRED is a department of the City of Fredericksburg and provides scheduled bus service in the City and counties of Spotsylvania, Stafford, Caroline and King George.



Germanna’s contribution of $25,000 annually to FRED qualifies it as a Major Partner and member of FRED’s Public Transit Advisory Board (PTAB). As a Major Partner, GCC employees and students will be able to ride all regular FRED services free upon showing a valid ID.

“We are delighted to have Germanna Community College as a major FRED partner," said Kathleen Beck, Director of Public Transit for the City of Fredericksburg.



“Germanna Community College is equally pleased to become a FRED partner. With a growing student population and expanding facilities and staff, we see this opportunity to partner with FRED as a significant benefit for the GCC community, while supporting public transit in the region,” said Dr. Ann Woolford, GCC Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services.



GCC President David A. Sam said the partnership with FRED provides a greener way to get to the college and that “it can provide access for those who might not have a car.”



FRED has served the Fredericksburg Campus of GCC since December 1998. Recently, FRED restructured service in Spotsylvania County so that the campus now receives hourly service between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, with connections at Lee Hill Center to the rest of the FRED network.

Why it is compulsory to take Coach Bus from Singapore to Malaysia

Travelling by bus have become so famous these days. Even if there are many budget airlines from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) but still people use to take a bus. This is because of following reasons.

Firstly, taking a bus is quite comfy. In fact, there are many VIP buses 27 seaters with comfortable seats and big seating space between the front rows and your seats. You can dispose your eats to almost 70deg. Bus tickets are also inexpensive as compare to plane tickets. There is no tax for airport and you do not need to pay any of these charge. In fact, the bus charge from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur is only $30.

Total time is also comparable as you do not need to ensure in 2hours earlier preceding departure. In addition, the travelling time from airport to your house is usually much more than the local bus stations to your house. For your convenience, you can also use your mobile phone in the bus, but remember not in the plane. You can always talk with your love ones while you are travelling by bus backside.

There are numerous buses travelling back to Kuala Lumpur, it has been almost an hour a bus traveling back from Singapore. In recent times, there are many bus companies that are presenting entertainment in bus that means you can always watch movie while travelling from bus to Kuala Lumpur. And also, they serve food in the bus. Their services are almost similar to 1st class seats in flight.

Also, if you want to have a view of Malacca then you may get bus from Singapore to Malacca. Well, Malacca is the historical city that is based in Malaysia on the west coast in front of the Straits of Malacca. It only takes 147 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur between the states of Negeri Sembilan and Johor. There are standard buses and luxury coaches from Singapore to Malacca that is 5½ hours journey and most of the people like to take bus from Singapore to Malacca as it is more convenient as the bus will stop at the centre of the town.

Thus, if you have to book in advance then you may search online booking websites and book your bus tickets as the coaches of these websites cover route between Singapore and Malaysia.

Why it is compulsory to take Coach Bus from Singapore to Malaysia

Travelling by bus have become so famous these days. Even if there are many budget airlines from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) but still people use to take a bus. This is because of following reasons.

Firstly, taking a bus is quite comfy. In fact, there are many VIP buses 27 seaters with comfortable seats and big seating space between the front rows and your seats. You can dispose your eats to almost 70deg. Bus tickets are also inexpensive as compare to plane tickets. There is no tax for airport and you do not need to pay any of these charge. In fact, the bus charge from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur is only $30.

Total time is also comparable as you do not need to ensure in 2hours earlier preceding departure. In addition, the travelling time from airport to your house is usually much more than the local bus stations to your house. For your convenience, you can also use your mobile phone in the bus, but remember not in the plane. You can always talk with your love ones while you are travelling by bus backside.

There are numerous buses travelling back to Kuala Lumpur, it has been almost an hour a bus traveling back from Singapore. In recent times, there are many bus companies that are presenting entertainment in bus that means you can always watch movie while travelling from bus to Kuala Lumpur. And also, they serve food in the bus. Their services are almost similar to 1st class seats in flight.

Also, if you want to have a view of Malacca then you may get bus from Singapore to Malacca. Well, Malacca is the historical city that is based in Malaysia on the west coast in front of the Straits of Malacca. It only takes 147 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur between the states of Negeri Sembilan and Johor. There are standard buses and luxury coaches from Singapore to Malacca that is 5½ hours journey and most of the people like to take bus from Singapore to Malacca as it is more convenient as the bus will stop at the centre of the town.

Thus, if you have to book in advance then you may search online booking websites and book your bus tickets as the coaches of these websites cover route between Singapore and Malaysia.

Lake Maninjau

Maninjau Lake at an altitude of ± 500 m above sea level and surrounded by the Bukit Barisan towering and steep, so make Maninjau Lake are like a giant crater. This beautiful lake is also known as having a lot of romantic places, so normal that many tourists call it the lake with romantic scenes because of any side you will see it looks stunning scenery.

Maninjau lake formed by volcanic eruptions (Gunung Tinjauan) in the past. This beautiful lake is situated ± 36 km from Bukittinggi towards the west which can be reached by public transportation and destination Maninjau Lubuk Basung with a unique past the winding 44 has a width of about 99.5 km ² and a maximum depth of 495 meters.

The existence of Lake Maninjau create a legend "Bujang Sembilan", which is believed to exist by the surrounding community. Once upon a time there was one family consisted of 10 men, nine men and a woman named Sani. Sani Keelokkan level and behavior into its own allure for a young man named Sigiran. In short they are then having an affair. One day they were accused of immorality by the footmen. To prove it, they jump into the crater of Mount Review. They swear if they committed any immoral then the mountain will not erupt, and if they do not do immoral then the mountain would not erupt. Finally, the volcano erupted and the eruption formed a large crater is then filled with water and became lakes as it is now.

At the lake we can swim, paragliding, fishing and adventuring by bike around the lake. Around the lake there is a lot of accommodation Homestay, Hotel, Cafe, and a variety of cuisine and specialties such as Palai Rinuak, Bada Salai, Ikan Bakar, pensi that does not exist in other areas.

To reach this lake, reached by landline. There are two alternative pathways to get to Lake Maninjau.
First, from the West, traveling through the beginning of Padang Pariaman path toward Lubuk Basung (Agam regency capital), approximately taken for 3 hours. For transportation, we can use public transportation, travel, and personal car or rental car.
Second, From the east, the journey started from Padang to Bukittinggi Bukittinggi and the city tour continues to Lake Maninjau through the winding 44 is unique. From the winding 44 can enjoy the beauty of lakes and dozens of monkeys that we can feed them directly. Transportation can use public transport, private car or rental car. Travel time taken approximately 3 ½ hours.

Mentawai island

Mentawai Islands is famous for its beautiful beaches.
The waves are high can be used for surfing activities (surfing).
Mentawai Islands Surfing is an icon that has been known throughout the world. Several times it has been an international surfing competition held here. No less than 400 "Surfing Spot" (surfing spot) that can be used as the location of surfing.

surfing activity can be done at several beaches located in the Mentawai islands. The beaches are: Beaches Nyangnyang, Bajat Coral Coast, Beach Karoniki, and the Coast Pananggelat Mainuk all of which are located in the District of South Siberut. In addition to the District of South Siberut, in District Sipora there are also several beaches like Bosua Katiet Beach and South Beach. While in the District of North Pagai there is the West Coast.
undefinedMentawai Sea, ranging from the surf to the seabed has a fantastic wealth and potential. The high waves that some of them into the category of extreme, making the Mentawai as one of the popular tourist attraction in the world of surfing.

Exercise surfing is usually done from April to October. Given that, in these months the waves in the Mentawai islands reached its zenith and the surfers can use it for surfing. While in the November to March, the waves in the Mentawai islands are not so high, so it is not challenging enough to be used surfing.

surfing activities are located in three districts, including the District of South Siberut, Sipora District and District of North Pagai included in Islands District Mentawai, West Sumatra, Indonesia.
Location surfing attraction can be reached by motor boat.

To enter the Mentawai Islands, the tourists can use the services of a guide or use the services of tour operators. For lodging, lodging in the Mentawai Islands are available along the seaside.
Tourism Indonesia Heaven on Earth
Source:www.wisatanesia.com