But Jobs didn’t just grab other people’s best concepts. He also drew inspiration from other, more far-flung domains. After dropping out of Reed College when he was 17, Jobs bummed around campus looking for something to do. He’d heard about Reed’s strong calligraphy program, so he decided to take some classes. “I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great,” he said in a commencement speech at Stanford in 2005 (which is one of the best accounts of his life you’ll ever see). “It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.”
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Gas - $2.77 per gallon
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
What You Don't Know
Stuff you didn't know you didn't know!
-------------------------------------------
Men can read smaller
print than women can; women can hear better.
--------------------- --------- --------- ----
Coca-Cola was originally green.
--------------------- --------- --------- ----
It is impossible to lick your elbow.
--------------------- --------- --------- ----
The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work:
Alaska
--------------------- --------- --------- ----
The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28%
(now get this...)
--------------------- --------- --------- ----
The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
--------------- ------ --------- --------- --------- ---------------
The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven:
$ 16,400
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
The average number of people airborne over the U..S. in any given hour:
61,000
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
The first novel ever written on a typewriter, Tom Sawyer.
-- ------------ --------- --------- --------- ---------
The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:
Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne
Clubs -Alexander, the Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987, 654,321
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died because of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
------ --- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
A. Their birthplace
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested?
A. Obsession
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Q.. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter 'A'?
A. One thousand
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common?
A. All were invented by women.
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
A. Honey
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day of the year?
A. Father's Day
--------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase...'Goodnight , sleep tight'
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England , when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them 'Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.'
It's where we get the phrase 'mind your P's and Q's'
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Many years ago in England , pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill , they used the whistle to get some service. 'Wet your whistle' is the phrase inspired by this practice.
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2011 when...
1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave.
2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen
8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.
10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.
11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )
12 You're reading this and nodding and laughing.
13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.
14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.
15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.
~~~~~~~~~~~AND FINALLY~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
NOW U R LAUGHING at yourself.
Go on, you know you want to!
-------------------------------------------
Men can read smaller
print than women can; women can hear better.
--------------------- --------- --------- ----
Coca-Cola was originally green.
--------------------- --------- --------- ----
It is impossible to lick your elbow.
--------------------- --------- --------- ----
The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work:
Alaska
--------------------- --------- --------- ----
The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28%
(now get this...)
--------------------- --------- --------- ----
The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
--------------- ------ --------- --------- --------- ---------------
The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven:
$ 16,400
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
The average number of people airborne over the U..S. in any given hour:
61,000
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
The first novel ever written on a typewriter, Tom Sawyer.
-- ------------ --------- --------- --------- ---------
The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:
Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne
Clubs -Alexander, the Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987, 654,321
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died because of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
------ --- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
A. Their birthplace
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested?
A. Obsession
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Q.. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter 'A'?
A. One thousand
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common?
A. All were invented by women.
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
A. Honey
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day of the year?
A. Father's Day
--------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase...'Goodnight , sleep tight'
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England , when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them 'Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.'
It's where we get the phrase 'mind your P's and Q's'
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Many years ago in England , pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill , they used the whistle to get some service. 'Wet your whistle' is the phrase inspired by this practice.
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2011 when...
1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave.
2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen
8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.
10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.
11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )
12 You're reading this and nodding and laughing.
13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.
14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.
15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.
~~~~~~~~~~~AND FINALLY~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
NOW U R LAUGHING at yourself.
Go on, you know you want to!
Go lick your elbow.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Looking Forward
There are a lot of posts about the passing of Steve Jobs. My first computer was an Apple and I have always followed Apple's progress. Below is part of a post from Slate magazine and a Stanford University video showing Job's 2005 Commencement address. I am interested in the possible lessons there for all of us and education in particular.
He added:
None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards 10 years later.
Below, a collection of some the more memorable quotes from Steve Jobs.
- “If Apple becomes a place where computers are a commodity item, where the romance is gone, and where people forget that computers are the most incredible invention that man has ever invented, I’ll feel I have lost Apple. But if I’m a million miles away, and all those people still feel those things … then I will feel that my genes are still there.”
- “Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.”
- “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”
- “My job is to not be easy on people. My job is to make them better.”
- “When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.”
- “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.”
- “My position coming back to Apple was that our industry was in a coma. It reminded me of Detroit in the ’70s, when American cars were boats on wheels.”
- “Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. The design of the Mac wasn’t what it looked like, although that was part of it. Primarily, it was how it worked. To design something really well, you have to get it. You have to really grok what it’s all about.”
- “Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
- “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful, that’s what matters to me.”
- “Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.”
- “Innovation … comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much. We’re always thinking about new markets we could enter, but it’s only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important.”
- “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”
- “When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: ‘If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.’ It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”
- “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
- “I get asked a lot why Apple’s customers are so loyal. It’s not because they belong to the Church of Mac! That’s ridiculous. It’s because when you buy our products, and three months later you get stuck on something, you quickly figure out [how to get past it]. And you think, ‘Wow, someone over there at Apple actually thought of this!’”
- “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Best State Gas Prices
From the 24/7 blog:
Read more: The Ten States With The Cheapest Gas - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/2011/10/05/the-ten-states-with-the-cheapest-gas/#ixzz1ZxC7B6X
H
10. Georgia
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.25 (tied for 8th place)
> Cost of living: 16th lowest
> Median household income: $44,108 (12th lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 20 cents (14th lowest)
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.25 (tied for 8th place)
> Cost of living: 16th lowest
> Median household income: $44,108 (12th lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 20 cents (14th lowest)
Georgia’s current average gas price is just $3.25, same as Kentucky and Indiana. In July, the state’s prices were almost on par with the national average, but have since dropped faster than the national level. Georgia has one of the lowest relative costs of living in the country, as well as a median household income of just $44,108, the 12th lowest in the country.
9. Kentucky
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.25 (tied for 8th place)
> Cost of living: 6th lowest
> Median household income: $41,236 (6th lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 22 cents (20th lowest)
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.25 (tied for 8th place)
> Cost of living: 6th lowest
> Median household income: $41,236 (6th lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 22 cents (20th lowest)
Kentucky has both the sixth lowest median household income in the country and the sixth lowest cost of living. Its gas prices are similarly low. While the state only has two refineries, this is more than the majority of states.
8. Indiana
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.25 (tied for 8th place)
> Cost of living: 7th lowest
> Median household income: $46,322 (19th lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 37 cents (8th highest)
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.25 (tied for 8th place)
> Cost of living: 7th lowest
> Median household income: $46,322 (19th lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 37 cents (8th highest)
According to the Missouri Department of Economic Development, Indiana has the seventh lowest relative cost of living in the country. Indiana has two refineries, including a BP plant in Whiting, which is the seventh largest in the country and the 19th largest in the world. According to The Indy Channel, the state’s current average gas price of $3.25 is a full dollar less than the Indiana all-time high of $4.25. The news source also reports that gas prices have declined in the state by more than 50 cents in the past month.
7. Oklahoma
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.24
> Cost of living: the lowest
> Median household income: $43,400 (10th lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 17 cents (5th lowest)
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.24
> Cost of living: the lowest
> Median household income: $43,400 (10th lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 17 cents (5th lowest)
Oklahoma has the absolute lowest cost of living in the country. Gas prices are similarly low. They have been exceptionally low lately, dropping below $3.00 per gallon in some areas. Oklahoma has six instate oil refineries. This is an exceptional amount compared to other states, especially considering Oklahoma’s relatively small size.
6. Louisiana
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.23
> Cost of living: 17th lowest
> Median household income: $39,443 (4th lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 20 cents (tied for 13th lowest)
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.23
> Cost of living: 17th lowest
> Median household income: $39,443 (4th lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 20 cents (tied for 13th lowest)
Its location on the Gulf of Mexico makes Louisiana an ideal location for refineries. With 17 plants, Louisiana has the third-most refineries in the country, and easily the most per square mile. The ExxonMobil plant in Baton Rouge is the second largest in the U.S. and the 10th largest in the world. Louisiana’s gas prices are also depressed by its economy. The state currently has the fourth lowest median income in the U.S.
5. Texas
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.22
> Cost of living: 2nd lowest
> Median household income: $47,464 (23rd lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 20 cents (tied for 13th lowest)
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.22
> Cost of living: 2nd lowest
> Median household income: $47,464 (23rd lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 20 cents (tied for 13th lowest)
Like Louisiana, Texas’s location on the Gulf of Mexico makes it also an ideal location for refineries, of which it has the most in the country — 23. The state also has the second lowest cost of living, behind only Oklahoma. The state’s gas prices have consistently remained below the national average. Recently, Fort Worth has had the lowest prices in the state at $3.14 per gallon.
4. Tennessee
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.20
> Cost of living: 3rd lowest
> Median household income: $38,686 (3rd lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 21 cents (16th lowest)
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.20
> Cost of living: 3rd lowest
> Median household income: $38,686 (3rd lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 21 cents (16th lowest)
Tennessee has the third lowest cost of living in the country, according to the Missouri Department of Economic Development. The state is also one of the poorest in the country, with a median income of just $38,686. Since peaking in May at $3.73, the state’s average gas price has dropped more than 50 cents.
3. Ohio
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.18
> Cost of living: 15th lowest
> Median household income: $46,093 (16th lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 28 cents (18th highest)
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.18
> Cost of living: 15th lowest
> Median household income: $46,093 (16th lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 28 cents (18th highest)
Ohio’s gas prices have not been significantly lower than the national average for most of the past year. In fact, during the spring, Ohio’s state average gas price was higher than the country’s. Since then, gas prices in the state have decreased dramatically. In many areas, prices have dropped below $3.00 per gallon.
2. South Carolina
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.15
> Cost of living: 22nd lowest
> Median household income: $41,709 (8th lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 16 cents (4th lowest)
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.15
> Cost of living: 22nd lowest
> Median household income: $41,709 (8th lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 16 cents (4th lowest)
South Carolina has among the lowest median household incomes in the country. The state also has the fourth lowest tax rate on gasoline in the country. Residents of the state have been paying the same rate — 16 cents a gallon — since 1987. There has been talk of raising the tax, but such a move is currently opposed by many, including Governor Nikki Haley.
1. Missouri
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.13
> Cost of living: 13th lowest
> Median household income: $46,184 (17th lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 18 cents (8th lowest)
> Price per gallon, regular: $3.13
> Cost of living: 13th lowest
> Median household income: $46,184 (17th lowest)
> Tax per gallon: 18 cents (8th lowest)
Missouri has one of the lowest tax rates on gas in the country. The state’s proximity to gas-producing states also benefits Missouri residents when it comes to prices at the pump. According to Slate, this “reduces transportation costs” and “also makes Missouri less susceptible to price spikes when individual refineries run into problems.” In some areas of the state, such as Perryville, gas prices are as low as $2.77 per gallon.
Read more: The Ten States With The Cheapest Gas - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/2011/10/05/the-ten-states-with-the-cheapest-gas/#ixzz1ZxC7B6X
H
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
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