Doing - Iterations / Jeffery Saddoris (Sun 24 Jun 2018)

abstract - Greenfield Park / Sydney (Sun 10 Jun 2018)

Jeffery Saddoris on Doing:

We need to rethink the word perfect and replace it with purposeful or deliberate - purposeful practice - deliberate practice. Perfect suggests there are no mistakes and it is in the mistakes that provide the opportunity to learn. Practicing deliberately on the other hand means looking beyond simply going through the motions of a particular task or skill, and instead breaking it down into where and more importantly why we are not getting the results we want or expect.

In the same way watching is the flip side of doing, failure is the catalyst to practice. Failure shows us where the holes are - whether that is a hole in a swing, a hole in our game or a hole in our thinking. But it does not happen in a vacuum and it is not binary. Failure is the evidence of doing. And failure just like success is an opportunity for reflection in order to fine tune where to direct our next efforts. When we embrace the missteps we are given the opportunity to see what worked and what did not work in the doing and as a result we can build a more purposeful or deliberate practice moving forward.

via The catalyst to practice (listen to from here) by Jeffery Saddoris.

Learning - Seth Godin (Tue 21 Mar 2017)

Untitled - Chippen Lane / Chippendale (Sat 25 Mar 2017)

Seth Godin on Learning:

Learn something new and difficult and valuable. Learn it today and continue learning it tomorrow.

via Three simple and difficult steps by Seth Godin.

Doing it - Addy Osmani (Mon 03 Oct 2017)

untitled - Canberra (Thu 16 Mar 2017)

Addy Osmani on Doing it:

first do it, then do it right, then do it better.

via Comments to How it feels to learn JavaScript in 2016 (Jose Aguinaga) by Addy Osmani.

If You Want To - Seth Godin (Tue 19 Jul 2016)

I want to .. I am .. - Library / Glebe (Wed 20 Jul 2016)

Seth Godin on If You Want To:

anyone with a $300 laptop can use the very same tools as the people at the top of just about any industry. [..]

If you want to learn, do research, make a ruckus... your local library has access to the same tools as you'll find in a skyscraper in a big company.

via The very same software by Seth Godin.

I've realised this for a long time and now I have the opportunity to make something of it here at the Glebe Library. Really making some great progress with everything that Seth mentions in his post - The very same software - and I am excited about what I am creating.

Communication - Joel Spolsky / Nick Heath (Tue 10 May 2016)

markings - "it means something to someone" - Wilson Street / Newtown (Fri 01 Jul 2016)

Joel Spolsky on Communication:

the most successful people are the ones who can explain their ideas the best

via Stack Overflow founder Spolsky: The three skills every software developer should learn by Nick Heath.

Learning - Eric Kim (Fri 29 Apr 2016)

Wilpena Sunset - Wilpena / Flinders Ranges / South Australia (Tue 12 Apr 2016)

Eric Kim on Learning:

to learn is to be alive. And to be alive is to create

via Never Stop Learning by Eric Kim.

Back two weeks now from a quick one week tour around Adelaide and the surrounding areas. Stunning ancient landscapes and expansive skies wherever you go. Awe inspiring and back here after some wandering. Thanks Eric.

Solar Groove (Bass Solo) - John Myung / Dream Theater

Solar Goove (solo) - Dream Theatre - John Myung

Always wanted to learn to play the Bass Guitar. This video is inspiration to get started. Thanks Uwe for the link and inspiration

Solar Goove (solo) - Dream Theater - John Myung

On Following and Leading - Tim Elmore (Thu 05 Nov 2015)

Untitled - Main Range / Snowy Mountains (Fri 01 Jan 2010)

Tim Elmore on the relationship between Following and Leading:

When you are an effective follower, you’ll eventually become a person of influence… and hence, lead other people. Following simply comes first.

via The First Lesson Leaders Must Learn by Tim Elmore.

Always been an individual, a loner in many ways, which came from a lack of acceptance amongst young peers as a small child, one with wrinkly, dry, cracked skin that was very different to those around him. So, from a position of exclusion, and within the limits of the resulting introversion and shyness (two very different things), my Parents encouraged me to participate in team sports, hockey being the one that stuck. I have worked hard to be a good team member and a good follower from a young age. Never wanted to be a leader, it's just not in me. And, when forced into these positions amongst a group, it has been a mostly uncomfortable experience which have left a few scars, from which I have learnt much about myself and others. However, within a small safe area of influence, that which a shy introvert is comfortable, I have been able to make a contribution to something other than myself. At least that is what I would like to think.

For a Moment, Forever .. To be an Aurora - eljeiffel (Wed 19 Aug 2015)

A Moment - Before, During and After - Racice / Czech Republic (Sat 29 Aug 2009)

For a Moment .. You think, you dream, you are inspired and you decide to go for the Team. You plan, you flex, you push, you pull, you metal, you shuffle, you kettle, you stand and paddle, and jump a few hurdles, and suddenly, you've made the Team, the first stage of a dream. You smile for a while, but you know it is only the first mile. You train, you strain, you pain, you drain, you gain, you laugh, you try, you cry, you learn, you create capacity and experiences, and build motion, connections and emotions for a Moment that seems so far off. You desire, you aspire, you perspire, time transpires and suddenly the Moment is there just in front of you, just there waiting for you to decide and respond as only you know how to. May you seize this Moment just ahead. It is just there .. waiting .. yes, just there. Where? It's there, just there, you know it. Grasp it with both hands. Fight for the inches, they are hard to find but they are there. And given an inch, take a mile, no mercy. What lies ahead is a mystery and shortly it will be history, to become your few threads in the rich tapestry that became before you. Be in and saviour this Moment, it is there waiting for you to move into and through, just like a door, to shape you and to become your memories with friends for a lifetime. Forever. As Jenny would say, "Don't Wonder 'What If?'". Go Australia!! Go the Auroras!!

Birds of Tokyo, "Lanterns": Stripped Down (Live)

Tagliatelle Bolognese 101 and The Known Unknown - Alexandria (Fri 17Jul 2015)

Plated Up - Fuel and Courage for 35km paddle tomorrow - Alexandria (Fri 17 Jul 2015)

Now we know what Pluto looks like after knowingly not knowing for quite a while now (a great read about the significance of this here at ribbonfarm ). So on a slight less significant level, here is what I know now, that I did not knowingly know back 13 months ago...

Just on 13 months ago I found a passion for cooking. A new kitchen and a little help from Michelle and I was on my way. One of the dishes Michelle suggested was a spaghetti bolognese.

I thought that would be an easy start, so went to Google to find a recipe, as you do. This is the one I liked the most from all the ones I read back then:

• Spaghetti bolognese recipe: Italian chefs show world the correct way

I liked the authenticity of ingredients, the correctness and approval from Bologna - a place we were heading to on the way to the World Club Crews in Ravenna a few months later.

I have cooked this recipe almost every second week for a year now. And all modesty aside (you know me), the one I cooked this last Monday was perfecto, with a hand and fingers rising from my mouth.

Indeed the recipe looked simple and my first efforts did not excit me that much and I thought to myself where was I going wrong? I have learnt that a recipe is just a starting point and that to make it work and indeed, great, like anything in life, you have to experiment, listen and learn from others, take risks, knowingly or unknowingly.

These are just some of the things I have learnt:

• I tried different ingredients from different places and found the best ones.


• Brown onions are much better than white onions, they help give you a nice brown sauce.


• Finely cut the carrots and celery rather than coarsely cut - a lot of experimenting to work that one out. Your preference might be different, but finely cut works best for me.


• The cheaper the cans of tinned diced tomatoes are, the better they are.


• A couple of diced real tomatoes add so much to a couple of cheap tins of diced tomatoes.


• You need a good can openner.


• Best mince is not the best for a bolognese and that a 50-50 combination of best mince and normal mince is best - a little fat goes a long way in taste and texture. I found this one out by mistake, as my usual and preferred butcher had virtually run out of best mince that day, so I topped it up with the normal mince.


• Browning and slightly burning the Pancetta on the pan base, also adds a browness and richness to the sauce. Just keep stirring it into the olive oil as you are browning it.


• Only add the red wine (and again cheaper the better) after the mince has been browned. Then make sure to take the time to boil it down without a lid until 30% has boiled away.


• As suggested in the article, a big thick pasta like tagliatelle is best. Beats spaghetti and even fettuccine by a long way.


• A little olive oil in the pasta makes it less sticky and easy to handle when serving up (Thanks to Darren and his Mum for that one).

It has taken 13 months to work all this out and I am so pleased with what I have learnt. Feel like I could enter World Bolognese Champs mentioned in the article and give it pretty good shake.

So as New Horizons speeds past Pluto into the outer Solar System and beyond, to make more of the unknown known, I will continue my quest to know more, master and perfect what I don't already know about Tagliatelle Bolognese 101.

Ready to Go - Alexandria (Mon 13 Jul 2015)

Simmeringly Good - Alexandria (Mon 13 Jul 2015)

All done... - Alexandria (Fri 17 Jul 2015)

On Photography - Appearance and Feelings - Susan Lipper / DavidSimonton (Mon 13 Jul 2015)

Self Portrait - Alexandria (Mon 13 Jul 2015)

Susan Lipper on Photography, and Appearance and Feelings:

I photograph to learn both the appearance of things and also my feelings about them

via davidsimonton.tumblr.com by David Simonton.

On Despair - I Wrote this for You / Iain S. Thomas (Mon 30 Jul 2012)

Self Portrait - Despair - Jerrabomberra Creek / Canberra (Sat 12 Mar 2005)

Iain S. Thomas on Despair:

Appreciate every moment of happiness and remember it when you despair. Hold them close. And when you are happy, remember the moments of despair and think to yourself, "I told you so."

The First Day On Earth by Iain S. Thomas.

Before Tim did what he did, I'm pretty sure I did not know what Despair meant. When we left Canberra the day after we said Goodbye, we went to the place he decided to leave us. When I took this photo of myself, this is when I finally understood what Despair meant - it's written all across my face. And more importantly, I found out what it felt. A hard way to learn the meaning of a word. This is Life and we take from it what we can to make us stronger and more resilient.

The Give and Take Miralce of Life and Photography - StreetShooter (Thu 23 Apr 2015)

Street Shooter - "[son] Mummy. What is he taking a photo of? [Mum] Go take a look when he is gone." - Fremantle (Sun 19 Apr 2015)

StreetShooter on Photography and Life:

all the sudden it occurred to me that everything in the universe has the ability to teach and to learn. So even on the streets making photos the energy you receive is equal to the energy you send. So your intent is to make photos but ya know, you aren’t in it alone. [..] If life is a give and take miracle then it stands to reason that photography is also. So that means that we think we are the origin of our work but that’s not true. We are not alone in life.

Our photographs and I am only talking about photography, are a collaboration between life and ourselves. We hope for and strive to find a synergism with the street and make the photos that represent that synergism. We can not rightfully state that we are the Origin of our work. [..]

If you are like every reader that ever was or ever will be on this blog [streetshoot.net], then you are aware that you don’t take any photographs, you collaborate wit Mother Light and The Street and you make your photos.

Tomorrow is another day and if I wake and am healthy, I’m hitting the streets. I hear tell Life is out there and I’m gonna look for it.

via Philly Street … Thoughts With … Olympus Pen EP-5 by StreetShooter.

Enjoy Life - Bronnie Ware (Sun 05 Apr 2015)

Pacific Dragons Mixed Orange - Penrith (Sat 04 Apr 2015

Bronnie Ware on Life

Change is constant. We make it easiest on ourselves by accepting that fact. Our ability in letting go of the need for control, giving up the insistence that things have to be a certain way, is a courageous gift of freedom.

It is also a gift of love and gratitude. By surrendering to life, accepting that change is a natural part of the flow, we learn to appreciate the moment for what it is.[..]

Life really is such a short and precious gift. It can also change unexpectedly in one tiny moment. So please, love yourself enough to commit to enjoying your life. Make decisions that support your happiness – your genuine, heartfelt happiness.

via Enjoy Life by Bronnie Ware.

Learning to Fly - Coming Home / Sydney to Coffs Harbour (Mon 16 Mar 2015)

Learning to Fly - Coming Home / Sydney to Coffs Harbour (Mon 16 Mar 2015) - View on YouTube
Back to Coffs Harbour for another week at home with Mum. On a whim I decided to take a few photographs on my iPhone6 to capture the wild ocean as we came in for a landing in Coffs from the North. Decided to put it on video mode and leave it on for the last 4 or 5 minutes. And if it worked out I thought I would add the Foo Fighters Learn to Fly (it takes me back to Sydney 2000) as a soundtrack. In the end, I used the following, which is far more appropriate in spirit and mood. A lovely song. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did putting it all together on the iPhone6 - who would have thought this could all be done on a mobile so easily and effortlessly.

Learning To Fly Lyrics
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

Well, I started out down a dirty road
Started out all alone
And the sun went down as I crossed the hill
And the town lit up, the world got still

I'm learning to fly but I ain't got wings
Coming down is the hardest thing

Well, the good ol' days may not return
And the rocks might melt and the sea may burn

I'm learning to fly but I ain't got wings
Coming down is the hardest thing

Well, some say life will beat you down
Break your heart, steal your crown
So I've started out for God knows where
I guess I'll know when I get there

I'm learning to fly around the clouds
But what goes up must come down

I'm learning to fly but I ain't got wings
Coming down is the hardest thing
I'm learning to fly around the clouds
But what goes up must come down

I'm learning to fly
I'm learning to fly

Coffs Harbour landing from the North - Diggers Beach and Park Beach / Coffs Habour (Mon 16 Mar 2015)

On Riding a Bicycle - Ernest Hemingway / Garry Loughlin (Wed 23 Oct 2014)

Untitled - Quai de la Seine / Paris (Mon 15 Sep 2014)
Ernest Hemingway (*) writes on bicycles (*):

It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are...

via California (part 2) (*) by Garry Loughlin (*).

On Failure - Venkat / Ribbonfarm (Fri 19 Dec 2014)

Flower Detail - Monet's Garden / Giverny (Wed 17 Sep 2014)
Venkat (*) writes on Failure (*):

You just have to have failed at a given level enough times to have become well-calibrated to the severity of your own responses, and effective at managing those responses. You are adapted to a domain at an advanced beginner level when you can keep trying indefinitely despite failing. You are at an intermediate level when you can look at failure data to learn, instead of being so traumatized you look away in aversion. You’re advanced when you begin failing in ways nobody has failed before.

via Learning from Crashes (*) by Venkat (*).

On Enthusiasms - Mike Johnson (Wed 08 Sep 2014)

Street Portrait (*) - Music Addict (*) - Tour of Great Britain / Westminster Bridge (*) / London (Sun 14 Sep 2014)
Mike Johnston (*) writes on Enthusiasms (*):

Your enthusiasms are the things you really take to and learn about because you love them and that bring you consistent pleasure.

via On the Road Again (*) by Mike Johnston (*).

Maybe this blog is it for me. Sometimes I scroll through the entries here and it lifts my spirits - the words (which are mostly others - how I would like to communicate like that) but also the photographs I have taken. They remind me I am doing something with my life.

Coaching Observations - Physiology4Performance (Sun 01 Jun 2014)

Untitled - Langelinie promenade / Copenhagen (Fri 23 Aug 2013)
Physiology4Performance (*) writes On Coaching Observations (*):

After meeting and talking with some 700 DB coaches around the country, here are some common truths that keep cropping up:

• Every club struggles with numbers. Recruitment is key for every club. Recruit smart and relentlessly.


• People fall out and clubs split and create new clubs. It's painful but good for the sport. Most clubs I can think of started that way.


• The most effective coaches do it because they get great satisfaction from helping people develop, learn, achieve and become part of a club/family - not because they get their ego stroked. Most effective because they make decisions based on performance rather than their ego.


• Good coaches educate themselves and maximise the the time/effort that their team invests, by training their clubs smart and hard.


• The best clubs have two or more coaches that work together synergistically (i.e. their strengths and weaknesses compliment each other). It takes coaches with their ego's in check to work this way as they have to understand their own weaknesses and take a back seat to the other coaches in this area.


• Performance comes from the club culture as much as anything else. Culture is based on a set of values and ideals that is put in place and shaped by key members and taught to new members implicitly. Not everyone will fit in with it and that's OK.


• Some people see 'having fun' and 'being competitive' as two opposing concepts. The best clubs know that these things go hand in hand.

via Physiology4Performance Facebook (*) by Physiology4Performance (*).

Making the most of it - Do What You Love (Tue 15 Jul 2014)

Installation - Reina Sofia (*) / Madrid (Sun 11 Aug 2013)
Do What You Love (*) writes:

Having experiences (*) is so important, but having exactly the right experience is not always necessary. [..]

However you feel (*) about your .. [situation] right now, think about how you can make the most of the situation you are in to learn (*) something, try (*) something, or build (*) one more connection (*) before, perhaps, you move on.

via Why experiences are important, but having the right experience is not (*) by Do What You Love (*).