New Post (104) : The web of all webs !
1. The tensile strength of spider silk is greater than the same weight of steel and has much greater elasticity.
***((( It’s microstructure is under investigation for potential applications in industry---including bullet-proof vests and artificial tendons. )))
-The main difference between “spider webs” and “cobwebs” is that spider webs are still in use, while cobwebs are webs that have been abandoned
-A web allows a spider to catch prey without having to expend energy by running it down. So it is an efficient method of gathering food.
2. Any coincidence that the [WWW] world wide web is called a –“WEB” ?
So what does that make us…Prey ?
Draw your own conclusions… whatever or however you conclude.. the web is here to stay
…same as spidey’s web ! As evidenced in nature.
We are all in it together. Preyed upon and yet enjoying it dearly !
One helluva web it is ! ! !
(as an) After thought :
-What I find re-assuring is that the web has ---no ONE master.
-The only TRULY democratic entity of our times is on---“AUTO-pilot”.
WOW !
Charlie Brown
Monday, January 10, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Can creativity be learnt ?
New Post (103) : Can creativity be learnt ?
Look for these characteristics in your self and in people you are associated with:
1. Ability to see or sensitivity to problems
Can state difficulties or deficiencies in common products or in social institutions, make judgement that desired goals in a described situation have not been achieved.
2. Fluency of thinking
Able to think well and effortlessly
---Word fluency
Can easily state words containing a given letter or combination of letters
---Associational fluency
Can easily state synonyms for a given word
---Expressional fluency
Can easily write well-formed sentences with a specified content.
---Ideational fluency
Can easily produce ideas to fulfill certain requirements, for example to name objects that are hard, white and edible, or to write an appropriate title for a given story.
3. Flexibility of thinking
Can easily abandon old ways of thinking and adopt new ones.
---Spontaneous flexibility
Can produce a great variety of ideas. For example in suggesting uses for a brick, subject can jump among categories, from building material to weight to missile to source of red powder.
---Adaptive flexibility
Can generalize requirements of a problem to find a solution. For example, in a problem of forming squares using a minimum number of lines, can abandon the usual idea that all squares have to be the same size.
4. Originality
Comes up with ideas that are statistically unusual
---Remote associations
Forms associations between elements that are remote from each other in time, or remote from each other logically
---Responses are judged to be clever
5. Redefinition - gives up old interpretations of familiar objects and uses them in new ways
Which of the following objects could best be used to make a needle: pencil, radish, shoe, fish, carnation? (fish - use bone)
6. Elaboration - can fill in details given a general scheme
Given a general task, fill in the detailed steps. Given two simple lines, draw a more complex object/
7. Tolerance of ambiguity
Willingness to accept some uncertainty in conclusions, not using rigid categories
8a. Interest in convergent thinking
Thinking towards one right answer, as in solving a mathematical problem stated in a textbook
8b. Interest in divergent thinking
Open-ended thinking, where there is not a single right answer
These were found to be common properties of creative individuals.
I suggest you use this listing as a sort of ready reckoner. To pick out the creative sorts. Associate with them. It will provide the environment to fire up your own creativity.
I (do) believe (that) creativity can be "learnt".
Charlie Brown
Look for these characteristics in your self and in people you are associated with:
1. Ability to see or sensitivity to problems
Can state difficulties or deficiencies in common products or in social institutions, make judgement that desired goals in a described situation have not been achieved.
2. Fluency of thinking
Able to think well and effortlessly
---Word fluency
Can easily state words containing a given letter or combination of letters
---Associational fluency
Can easily state synonyms for a given word
---Expressional fluency
Can easily write well-formed sentences with a specified content.
---Ideational fluency
Can easily produce ideas to fulfill certain requirements, for example to name objects that are hard, white and edible, or to write an appropriate title for a given story.
3. Flexibility of thinking
Can easily abandon old ways of thinking and adopt new ones.
---Spontaneous flexibility
Can produce a great variety of ideas. For example in suggesting uses for a brick, subject can jump among categories, from building material to weight to missile to source of red powder.
---Adaptive flexibility
Can generalize requirements of a problem to find a solution. For example, in a problem of forming squares using a minimum number of lines, can abandon the usual idea that all squares have to be the same size.
4. Originality
Comes up with ideas that are statistically unusual
---Remote associations
Forms associations between elements that are remote from each other in time, or remote from each other logically
---Responses are judged to be clever
5. Redefinition - gives up old interpretations of familiar objects and uses them in new ways
Which of the following objects could best be used to make a needle: pencil, radish, shoe, fish, carnation? (fish - use bone)
6. Elaboration - can fill in details given a general scheme
Given a general task, fill in the detailed steps. Given two simple lines, draw a more complex object/
7. Tolerance of ambiguity
Willingness to accept some uncertainty in conclusions, not using rigid categories
8a. Interest in convergent thinking
Thinking towards one right answer, as in solving a mathematical problem stated in a textbook
8b. Interest in divergent thinking
Open-ended thinking, where there is not a single right answer
These were found to be common properties of creative individuals.
I suggest you use this listing as a sort of ready reckoner. To pick out the creative sorts. Associate with them. It will provide the environment to fire up your own creativity.
I (do) believe (that) creativity can be "learnt".
Charlie Brown
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
“To ad or not to ad” on E-books, that is the…question.
New Post (102) : “To ad or not to ad” on E-books, that is the…question.
The question (really) is more about ---“How to”…
As e-books proliferate, advertisers are experimenting with ways to pitch to consumers while they read, a trend that could --- change the publishing business.
Advertisers are experimenting with ads on e-readers, a trend that could change the publishing business.
Marketers are exploring a variety of formats, including sponsorships that give readers free books.
Videos, graphics or text with an advertiser's message that appear when a person first starts a book or along the border of the digital pages are also in the works.
Ads can be targeted based on the book's content and the demographic and profile information of the reader.
The challenge: Ads on e-books will have to contend with annoying the reader.
(I’d) Trust the ingenuity of advertisers to come up with a clever non-invasive solution.
Charlie Brown
The question (really) is more about ---“How to”…
As e-books proliferate, advertisers are experimenting with ways to pitch to consumers while they read, a trend that could --- change the publishing business.
Advertisers are experimenting with ads on e-readers, a trend that could change the publishing business.
Marketers are exploring a variety of formats, including sponsorships that give readers free books.
Videos, graphics or text with an advertiser's message that appear when a person first starts a book or along the border of the digital pages are also in the works.
Ads can be targeted based on the book's content and the demographic and profile information of the reader.
The challenge: Ads on e-books will have to contend with annoying the reader.
(I’d) Trust the ingenuity of advertisers to come up with a clever non-invasive solution.
Charlie Brown
Monday, January 3, 2011
WAGE RESTRAINT IN SLOVENIA AND GERMANY.
New Post (101) : WAGE RESTRAINT IN SLOVENIA AND GERMANY.
Germany and Slovenia have, chosen to liberalize their rigid labour markets,
-albeit at the margins.
Sure, population ageing is certain to put a strain on their generous social welfare systems
So, putting more people to work is the best way to guarantee their sustainability.
As countries with strong trade unions, the German and Slovenian governments have always relied heavily on social dialogue to promote economic goals.
It is, therefore, unsurprising that the two countries' impressive export performance is based on the same policy – “wage restraint”.
i.e. wage growth lagging behind productivity growth, that lowers production costs and makes exports more competitive.
Makes mighty good sense to me.
You get the much desired growth, more people employed, and a reined in inflation that benefits all !
In an old fashioned way, you'd recognize this approach as being---"some sacrifice by all for the larger good of all".
Prudence or Wisdom ---!!! ...I reckon---BOTH.
I tip my (grandpa's, frayed at the edges...) hat to Germany and Slovenia.
Salute !
Charlie Brown
Germany and Slovenia have, chosen to liberalize their rigid labour markets,
-albeit at the margins.
Sure, population ageing is certain to put a strain on their generous social welfare systems
So, putting more people to work is the best way to guarantee their sustainability.
As countries with strong trade unions, the German and Slovenian governments have always relied heavily on social dialogue to promote economic goals.
It is, therefore, unsurprising that the two countries' impressive export performance is based on the same policy – “wage restraint”.
i.e. wage growth lagging behind productivity growth, that lowers production costs and makes exports more competitive.
Makes mighty good sense to me.
You get the much desired growth, more people employed, and a reined in inflation that benefits all !
In an old fashioned way, you'd recognize this approach as being---"some sacrifice by all for the larger good of all".
Prudence or Wisdom ---!!! ...I reckon---BOTH.
I tip my (grandpa's, frayed at the edges...) hat to Germany and Slovenia.
Salute !
Charlie Brown
AM I SUFFERING FROM EARLY "DEMENTIA" ?
New Post (100) : AM I SUFFERING FROM EARLY "DEMENTIA" ?
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Dementia includes the symptoms listed below:
• Dementia
• Mental decline
• Cognitive loss
• Memory loss
• Short-term memory loss
• Forgetfulness
• Personality changes
• Behavioral problems
• Confusion
• Repeating questions
• Becoming lost in familiar places
• Loss of judgement
• Inability to drive
• Unable to follow directions
• Disorientation
• Neglecting personal safety
• Neglect of hygiene
• Neglect of personal appearance
• Neglect of nutrition
Be watchful of these symptoms in those near and dear to you.
Charlie Brown
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Dementia includes the symptoms listed below:
• Dementia
• Mental decline
• Cognitive loss
• Memory loss
• Short-term memory loss
• Forgetfulness
• Personality changes
• Behavioral problems
• Confusion
• Repeating questions
• Becoming lost in familiar places
• Loss of judgement
• Inability to drive
• Unable to follow directions
• Disorientation
• Neglecting personal safety
• Neglect of hygiene
• Neglect of personal appearance
• Neglect of nutrition
Be watchful of these symptoms in those near and dear to you.
Charlie Brown
Sunday, January 2, 2011
THE 4 LEGGED VICTIMS OF IRELAND'S RECESSION
New Post (99) : THE 4 LEGGED VICTIMS OF IRELAND'S RECESSION
Ireland may be ---the land of the horse…but…
Ireland faces some tough decisions over the plight of the horses that people can no longer afford to keep.
It's a terrible situation at the moment but its happening and something has to be done to prevent these poor unwanted creatures from starving to death.
They are ---"THE 4 LEGGED VICTIMS OF IRELAND'S RECESSION"--- whose plight animal welfare organization/s say can only be solved now by a mass national cull.
Bought as trophy-pets during the boom years, homeless horses now run wild in their thousands across the Republic.
Most abandoned by owners who have no money for their upkeep.
Ireland has ---the highest horse population per capita--- in the whole of Europe.
Although there are no official figures, animal charities estimate that ---“up to 20,000 horses could be owner-less and fending for themselves”.
With the prospect of a harsh winter and no let up in the economic gloom, the only solution to the problem is to cull those animals left to forage for themselves.
At the height of the boom a NON-thoroughbred horse bought as a pet could cost up to €4,000; today, that price can be as low as €50.
It’s such a pity !
Charlie Brown
Ireland may be ---the land of the horse…but…
Ireland faces some tough decisions over the plight of the horses that people can no longer afford to keep.
It's a terrible situation at the moment but its happening and something has to be done to prevent these poor unwanted creatures from starving to death.
They are ---"THE 4 LEGGED VICTIMS OF IRELAND'S RECESSION"--- whose plight animal welfare organization/s say can only be solved now by a mass national cull.
Bought as trophy-pets during the boom years, homeless horses now run wild in their thousands across the Republic.
Most abandoned by owners who have no money for their upkeep.
Ireland has ---the highest horse population per capita--- in the whole of Europe.
Although there are no official figures, animal charities estimate that ---“up to 20,000 horses could be owner-less and fending for themselves”.
With the prospect of a harsh winter and no let up in the economic gloom, the only solution to the problem is to cull those animals left to forage for themselves.
At the height of the boom a NON-thoroughbred horse bought as a pet could cost up to €4,000; today, that price can be as low as €50.
It’s such a pity !
Charlie Brown
“THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE” !
New Post (98) : “THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE” !
I have (only) an “instinctive” appreciation of the proposed thought.
But would be happy to have it explained to me at: charliebrownru@yahoo.com
1. The medium is the message ---is a phrase coined by Marshall McLuhan meaning that the form of a medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived.
The phrase was introduced in his most widely known book:
Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, published in 1964.
McLuhan proposes that a medium itself, not the content it carries, should be the focus of study.
He said that a medium affects the society in which it plays a role not only by the content delivered over the medium, but also by the characteristics of the medium itself.
Question-What does this mean for marketers ?
Th implications for ---content and delivery.
2. I find it difficult to reconcile the thought with --- SPAM filters (on e-mail accounts), unwanted caller/SMS block list register (for cell phones) ,…etc-etc. Granted an individuals privacy concerns need to be addressed and ensured. Nevertheless…
Question-How are marketers using new media to ride clear over such hurdles ?
3. The jockeying between traditional media and new media seems inevitable. Then...
Question-How will traditional media re-invent itself to prevent (or defer) being swamped out by the new media ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Point: The flocking/herding presence of corporates and brands on “web era digital platform based social media” is a symptom of an inadequate understanding of---the truly visionary insight: “The medium is the message”.
"UNDERSTAND" thy "evolving" consumer. ....
Do not chase, ape n mimic them. That will get you nowhere.
Charlie Brown
I have (only) an “instinctive” appreciation of the proposed thought.
But would be happy to have it explained to me at: charliebrownru@yahoo.com
1. The medium is the message ---is a phrase coined by Marshall McLuhan meaning that the form of a medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived.
The phrase was introduced in his most widely known book:
Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, published in 1964.
McLuhan proposes that a medium itself, not the content it carries, should be the focus of study.
He said that a medium affects the society in which it plays a role not only by the content delivered over the medium, but also by the characteristics of the medium itself.
Question-What does this mean for marketers ?
Th implications for ---content and delivery.
2. I find it difficult to reconcile the thought with --- SPAM filters (on e-mail accounts), unwanted caller/SMS block list register (for cell phones) ,…etc-etc. Granted an individuals privacy concerns need to be addressed and ensured. Nevertheless…
Question-How are marketers using new media to ride clear over such hurdles ?
3. The jockeying between traditional media and new media seems inevitable. Then...
Question-How will traditional media re-invent itself to prevent (or defer) being swamped out by the new media ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Point: The flocking/herding presence of corporates and brands on “web era digital platform based social media” is a symptom of an inadequate understanding of---the truly visionary insight: “The medium is the message”.
"UNDERSTAND" thy "evolving" consumer. ....
Do not chase, ape n mimic them. That will get you nowhere.
Charlie Brown
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