Friday January 27, 2006 6:50 am Ballina NSW

A. Morning Musings

6:50 am Our celebration of Australia Day was a success. Snags, beer, wine and friends. That explains the lack of a "Reflection" on the previous page. Now for a heart-starter cuppa to get this day moving. Mmmm.

I have reviewed my plan for the day and must admit that it is a bit light on action.

B. Plan

7:10 am Chores: None

Exercise: Tummy exercises & beach walk.

Technology: None

Birds: None.

Literature: Continue reading "Who Moved My Blackberry?"

History: Make mind map for chapter 2 of Ideas.

Food, Mathematics, Art and Drawing will not be active. 7:15 am

C. Actual

8:30 am I continue to play with the overall appearance of these web sites. Feedback from a viewer suggests that the bright green background for these journal pages is a bit garish and hard on the eyes. I have just tried a different approach with the AusBirds web site by using an image of a feather (i.e. an old fashioned writing quill) to symbolize a Notebook web site (there was a feather inside the issue of "Dumbo feather, pass it on.") and will continue with an image of myself to indicate a Journal web site. I have also reverted back to a pale yellow for the background for the header and footer of the Journal pages. 9:40 am

11:50 am

A very calm beginning. I have been reading a few more of the interviews from "Dumbo feather, - pass it on." The interviews themselves are calm, not frenetic. This is, without a doubt, one of the most enjoyable and satisfying magazines that I have come across. Here are a few additional comments that flew off the page:

• "... it is a real inspiration to see people with the courage to follow ideas through ." [p. 9]
• "It really got me thinking about how one can communicate with people in smart cost-effective ways ..." [p. 14]
• "I taught myself in a short amount of time the processes of development ..." [p. 32-34]
• "I think its that thing when you work for a large company or for anyone else, it's never really yours. I have always wanted to have my own deal happening." [p. 37]
• "I think the boundaries are very different when it comes to being a project. It is ungoverned, and I think by calling something a project you have to be questioning a number of things, and pushing things further..." [p. 47]
• "I think this is what Dumbo feather, pass it on. does, it allows people - by listening to someone else - to believe that they can do it, whatever that they do. It's quite beautiful." [p. 48]
• "As for Ikebana, however, it is lifetime learning. I will never complete learning it." [p. 58]
• "The more you practice, the better you become, and that's really my kind of thing. All that matters is the amount of time you put in to it." [p. 61]
• "In making an arrangement, my mind is full." [p. 61]
• "Sometimes you do things in your life that are actually driven by fate, you're not creating them, you're actually having them created around you ..." [p. 73]
• "... it's that Buddhist idea about cracking the seed to let the life out." [p. 73]
• "If you're on the right path there's so little turbulence that it's very difficult to tell stories." [p. 76]
• "You can make more of stories, they can be more honest when they become a journey rather than an attempted reflection of the truth." [p. 76]
• "If you can do what needs to be done with with a sense of adventure ... it seems to work better." [p. 79]
• "To build nothing is the best solution." [p. 91]
• " After the first week of university I thought, 'Well if they call this work or if they call this a course then I've hit nirvana." [p. 93]
• "If anyone on the planet thinks that sustainability's a passing fad, they're insane." [p. 105]
• "Current magazine culture is the pornography of buildings." [p. 106]

What a grand way to spend a morning! 12:50 PM

5:40 PM The afternoon has been a continuation of the morning. I have put slightly over 2 hours on reading "Who Moved My Blackberry?" and am about half through it. It is interesting for its literary technique: a sequence of email and text messages, but I occasionally find myself asking if it is worth finishing. I have decided to leave the idea of a mind map for chapter 2 of "Ideas" until at least tomorrow. 5:50 PM

8:30 PM Our beach walk resulted in one more lifer: the Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike. Once again, taking a couple of photos allowed up to make a positive identification.

That brings our running total of Australian birds to 103. 8:40 PM

D. Reflection

10:40 PM A good day. Just finished watching Roger Federer win his semi-final match in the Australian Open. He is a joy to watch.

I have the feeling that the table is clean and ready for a new day. I am pleased with the overall state of my web sites. Tomorrow will also be relatively light as I try to reduce the technology aspect on the weekend. 10:45 PM