Shokunin – dedicate your life to mastering your skill

You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That’s the secret to success…and is the key to being regarded honorably. – Jiro Dreams of Sushi   Last night we watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi on Netflix Instant, and we both fell in love with Jiro. For his amazing work and his intense focus on …

Getting used to Fall

A beautiful piece on the new season by Gina Dostler – Autumn Alignment: I feel the coolness gently touch my face as it drifts through the window screen, and I know summer is coming to its end. And though Indian summer hides in wait for its call to jump out and play its games with hot …

My Manifesto – the Zeitgeist of sustainability

This will be the fifth manifesto I’ve written. And every one of them has had a noble goal and ambitious hopes. I like to shoot for the stars and see where I end up. My goal is to be the Zeitgeist of sustainability. Zeitgeist – “the spirit of the times” or “the spirit of the age.” …

Help curb excessive exclamations – resist the urge to use an exclamation point

There is only one exclamation point in Ernest Hemingway’s – The Old Man and the Sea – published in 1951. There were eight exclamation points in Anthony Burgess’ – A Clockwork Orange – published in 1962. But four novels published in the 21st century each have 250 or more exclamation points, with one using 439. And this highlights …

For the first time, Korean Buddhism available to Western world

Never before has the buddhism of Korea been available to the West, until now. Scholars across America have united to translate a 13-volume anthology covering 1,700 years – and the entire guide is available online, free with a creative commons license. View all thirteen volumes here (scroll to bottom). More about this work, from the …

Beethoven drank buckets of black coffee – Creativity advice from 90 artists

It’s nice to have creative friends, especially when you hit a creative block. You can call them up and ask them for advice. That’s exactly what Alex Cornell did and he turned it into BreakThrough! 90 Ways to Spark Your Imagination. Each one is a personal thought from an artist, writer, or musician – like …

Tumblr blog – celebrities reading poetry

It’s that subject no one wants to study in English class. It’s that aisle in the bookstore that’s always empty. It’s that stuff that star-crossed lovers spout at each other through open windows. Explains the author of this Tumblr, called SpeakCelebrity. Offering that poetry isn’t scary, “it’s exciting, and comforting, and new, and old, and …

Have you seen Sneakers? – The classic spy thriller starring Robert Redford

I can’t imagine a better way to introduce the movie, Sneakers: It’s hard for me to choose a favorite Sneakers character—there so many great ones. Even the movie’s secondary players are rendered in just enough detail to give them dimension: I love the pretentiousness of Janek, the mathematician who builds the decryption device; the unctuousness (want a …

Why we write — What is 1X57 about?

1X57 is a daily publication about sustainability, and all the related topics. The primary subjects are zero waste, farmers markets, and clean energy. Beyond that is an array of fun topics like: do-it-yourself (DIY), crafts, sports, art, and creativity. We talk about all of them and, of course: reduce, reuse, recycle. 5-6 pieces a day …

WordPress upgrades to ‘intelligent proofreading’ for spelling, grammar, and style suggestions

I have to say this is pretty amazing. The WordPress blogging platform now offers artificial intelligence for proofreading, and we’re not talking any old spell checker. Here is what this “intelligent proofreading” covers: Bias language Clichés Complex phrases Diacritical marks Double negatives Hidden verbs Jargon phrases Passive voice Phrases to avoid Redundant phrases   I …