Pitashi: Jeff Solomon's Guide to Everything; precisely complicated and exactly complex.

The Human Mind is on a Collision Course with the Computer Processor

2010-09-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

You are either in one of three buckets when you read the title of this post. You’re intrigued because you find the idea of artificial intelligence interesting and you believe that one day we’ll be able to create robots that can actually think. Or maybe your frightened because you think if computers get too smart they will take over the world and exterminate human beings. Or maybe you just think I’m crazy. In any case let me explain what I mean.

I believe the human mind is just like a computer processor except that it’s entirely organic and is far more evolved. Whether you agree with this or not, most people would say the human mind is exponentially more intelligent than even the most sophisticated computer processor. Ironically I think the human mind is inferior to the computer processor in some ways. When it comes to processing our waking thought, human beings actually move at snail’s pace relative to a computer processor. Think about it. When presented with a mathematical problem it takes noticeable time to process and come up with an answer. Whereas presented similar questions, a computer processor can calculate the answer nearly instantaneously. Even a $1.99 calculator demonstrates this power, but computers can only do this in a binary fashion. By this I mean they cannot make “reasonable decisions” based on inputs, they can only process ones and zeroes to get to a binary decision; essentially answering yes or no based on rules. There is no wavering from that. That’s the goal of artificial intelligence, to take a binary decision and empower the processor to do some reasoning. So the processor is faster, but the human mind is much more dynamic and sophisticated.

Ok, so how the heck are they intersecting. Well, like this. As computers get smarter and we figure out how to enable them to learn and reason they will start to get closer to the capabilities of the human mind. Of course you need to take a leap of faith that this is even possible, but who would have thought we could build airplanes and travel to the moon a thousand years ago. The mind on the other hand is getting faster. I always loved the old wives tale about how we only use 10% of brains. Well this has largely been disproved, but I like to think that the truth is we use our brains only 5% at the potential efficiency level. That means we can become exponentially more efficient, that’s processing. So as the human mind begins to process information faster and the computer starts to reason and think through problems they two technologies start to intersect.

Ok, now take this in. As this starts to occur I believe that at one instant in time, just like the ping pong ball experiment that demonstrates a nuclear reaction, the human mind and the computer processor will become one; literally one living, breathing, organic and man-made being. Humans will not be taken over by computers, they will become them and vice versa, computers won’t become the rulers of the universe they will evolve into them. It’s out there, and maybe I can’t fully explain it, but I just believe it. That’s what this blog is about so it doesn’t matter how out there it is.

Anything is Possible

2010-07-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

I’m pretty sure I’ve blogged about this story I heard about Steven Spielberg’s childhood. One night when Steven was a young boy his father came home abruptly from work and hustled his mother and sister into the car. It was dusk as they drove off into the unknown. His father hadn’t told them where they were going. Of course Steven had mixed emotion I’m sure. In part he was probably a little afraid but he also must have been excited and in wonderment of where his father was taking them. After all, he trusted his father and until then believed that he could do no wrong.

After while, the family arrived in a big open field with no trees and a perfect view of the summer night sky; there were many other people there, on blankets, seemingly with their families. Steven must have felt a calm sense of safety seeing others there, and his excitement and wonder surely grew into a fever. His father put out a big blanket and the family sat down in the nearly pitch black field. The moon was nowhere in sight that night, but when they leaned back and looked up they must have been astonished by the sight of a perfectly marvelous meteor shower. To Steven it must have looked like the stars were dancing just for him. To Steven the whole universe opened up and said one thing, anything is possible.

That experience not only stuck with Steven Spielberg, but it literally defined him from that point on. He had been imprinted with an extraordinary cosmic event at that perfect age where the most significant events are burned into our subconscious as more than just experiences; they become fundamental organizing principles that drive everything we do and how we perceive the world. You don’t have to see more than one of his movies to know that Steven Spielberg is driven by the organizing principle that anything’s possible.

I think in my heart I’ve always felt this way. But I know that many of my defining experiences have told me the exact opposite. For some reason the events that made me who I am today said something I’ve been fighting from the inside out for my entire life. It said something to the effect of, hey, most things are possible, but you should keep it to yourself or you might freak people out. That just sucks. That’s my organizing principle, you can think anything’s possible, but just don’t say or do anything about it.

Now, organizing principle can be pretty powerful. In fact, they’re like your subconscious, it’s pretty much uncontrollable. On top of that, I believe that human beings are part of a greater system, an energy that everything in the universe is part of. Pretty much every religion has some concept of that type. That system is designed to work like an equation, both sides are equal and if you have organizing principles that have you thinking and acting positively, then the universe wants to respond with the same. This concept of like attracts like is age old and most recently publicized in the book The Secret. The really sad thing is that if you have organizing principles that have you thinking or acting negatively, well, that’s what you get. People, places and things in your world will naturally fall into place that supports your organizing principles. Yeah, that can be a great thing if you’re Steven Spielberg and you think and act like anything is possible, but it sucks if your natural state is that you think everything has been done and there is little more out there. Of course I don’t believe or act like that, but I’m caught somewhere in the middle. My heart is dying to explore, but my mind wants to do everything to hold me back. What is that? Is God ironic?

In a lot of ways I’ve built up a community of people places and things that keep me stuck. The older I get, the more I feel like one day I’m going to wake up and realize that I’ve just got too much stuff blocking the door and too many people holding it shut. What am I supposed to do?

I recently spent a day in New York and met up with some old high school buddies. In fact, only now did I stop to realize that these two guys we the best two friends I ever had in my life. I was best friends with one and best friends with the other, and the two of them were good friends, not best, with each other. It was an interesting dynamic. Growing up I actually had a few different types of good friends that naturally wouldn’t have been friends with each other, but I created, not intentionally, several intersecting circles of people. I was the common denominator that connected everyone. Of course each of those friends had some things in common with the others, but they individually had more in common with me. I’m a bit of a connecter, but in high school I never realized it. So my trip to New York, and meeting with these guys was really quite incredible, fascinating really. First I met up with one friend, we spent time hanging out in the city, at lunch, walked around, caught up and enjoyed each other’s company. After a few hours, my other friend met up with us. The three of us talked, laughed, and everyone had a great time together. We went to dinner, walked on the pier, and had a blast. Then the first friend had to go home, leaving me with the second friend, and he and I spent another several hours together. From start to end of the day, the conversation transformed as I transitioned from one friend to both to the other one. It was really amazing to see. I know it was me that enabled that, and I know both friends left feeling inspired, motivated, excited, and maybe even a little bit of that sense that anything is possible. God, what if everyone believed that?

Do We Only Use 10% of Our Brain?

2010-07-16T23:05:00.000-07:00

There is much evidence to refute that idea, as seen here and here. But most of that data refutes the idea that we physically use only 10% rather than the idea that we do indeed use 100% of our brain, but that the brain has the potential to be 90% more efficient and effective. Do we have a way to accurately measure how certain brain activity is more effective? Which is faster or more efficient? Which can process more concepts, ideas and calculations simultaneously? I think the answer is no. So what if the real way to think about it is not percentage of usage, but percentage of effectiveness.

Think about using your brain during a tough work day. You’ve got a lot on your mind, your processing numerous task and thinking through a handful concepts. You can only do so much. So what if you could do more, faster and simultaneously. I like to think of it more like a computer microprocessor. Comparing the early processors to the ones commonly found in personal computers these days is like comparing apples to motorcycles. They couldn’t be more different. The processors today are exponentially faster and capable of doing many many more calculations at the same time, multi-threading. So why can’t the human brain become capable of processing more faster?

As a side concept; I like to think technology and humanity are converging. As computer processing become more “intelligent” human brains are becoming more “effective”. It makes sense that we would strive to create a brain in our own image; it’s what we know, consciously and sub-consciously. In other words organic intelligence and artificial intelligence are converging because they were both born out of the same paradigm. More on that later.

So how do we access the potential power of our brains? Part of me says it’s time and evolution, that there is nothing we can do to accelerate it. I think that even if that’s true, it’s already accelerating exponentially. Think about the timeline of the human race. We’ve probably learned and accomplished more in the last 50 years than we have in the previous 1500 years. Our mind has also expanded and become more effective at that same ratio. I think it’s expanding like the ping pong ball experiment, all of the sudden we will have total knowledge and achieve the pinnacle of our potential.

On the flip side, perhaps we can accelerate it independent of time and evolution. Christopher Nolan in his latest masterpiece, Inception, came up with a very intelligent way to explain how the brain may not be maximized. His way of explaining the concept is that during our dream state, our minds are exponentially more effective and efficient. He shows how it not only has the ability to design and create the world we operate in but also experience that world in real-time. That creation, as evidenced by anyone that has had a vivid and strange dream, can be quite incredible (i.e. buildings falling on each other, or walking on walls). He also suggests that time is accelerated in dreams; 10 minutes in the real world could equate to hours, weeks or longer in the dream world because our minds can imagine and create a dream reality and experience it much faster than we could while awake. It’s such a brilliant way to explain the concept that we aren’t maximizing the potential of our minds… he says, look, why can we do so much more while we sleep with our minds than we can while we are awake. I just love that.

So, yes, there is proof we use 100% of our brains; I’m not doubting that. But is there proof that we can’t use 100% of our brains 1000% more effectively?

Earthquakes are the Closest we can Get to God

2010-07-12T14:59:00.000-07:00

I think most people are afraid of earthquakes; quite contrary to that I love them, to a point anyway. To me, earthquakes are the closest I get to understanding God. Sure, that’s a pretty big statement, but if you’ve ever felt an earthquake, you may understand what I mean. Earthquakes grab you from the inside. The feeling is like nothing else on earth; nothing can replicate it. No matter how much you simulate the shaking of an earthquake, the feeling can’t be re-created. Those who have never been in an earthquake think of it as a “shaking” type feeling, that’s true of course, but it’s so much more. Earthquakes start deep in the earth, they don’t simply shake the surface beneath your feet, the grab the entire space you occupy and take control of it. Imagine it more like energy than shaking. The energy from an earthquake grabs everything within a certain radius, in all directions – up, down, left, right and everywhere in-between. You can feel the energy from deep within your soul, it starts from the inside and grabs your organs and shakes them. It is so vastly different than the feeling of someone shaking you that I can’t even begin to articulate it. Your adrenaline fires the moment it feels the earthquake and for that one moment you are connected to the earth, the universe and everything that is out there, explainable and not explainable. You are one with the universe and you feel just how connected everything really is. That’s how I think of God; an all powerful energy that has the capability of moving mountains, literally. If an earthquake is big enough, then the physical danger of falling objects, walls, roofs, buildings, etc. ultimately put you at real risk. But before we had all those things, back when the earth was just dirt and rock, even the biggest earthquake probably wasn’t all that dangerous. If you were in a wide open field, and a huge earthquake struck, more than likely you would be fine, barring a huge fissure opening and swallowing you up in the earth. But the feeling that goes along with an earthquake is unmistakable. The bigger and stronger the earthquake, the more connected we feel to everything. That’s why I love earthquakes. I fear them, and I have concern over my physical safety, but I love knowing that I’m part of a greater system. For that brief moment I’m more connected to God than I’ve ever been. It’s a spiritual experience from the inside out. No matter how holy you are or how much faith you have, nothing produces the same feeling of connectedness. It makes sense that we would feel fear so intensely at that moment. Every feeling comes out, fear, joy, anger, anxiety, love, the list goes on. We are completely powerless over everything. The power of an earthquake makes us feel totally out of control. There is nothing we can do but wait it out. If we just let go, for one moment, we are with God. Next time there is an earthquake I encourage you to try it. Enjoy it. Appreciate it. Don’t underestimate it, but don’t undervalue it. We’re all connected by a common thread that runs directly through out body piercing the soul. When an earthquake hits, that thread is pulled taught and everyone who feels it knows, for a moment in time, that God is within and without us. It’s a pretty fantastic feeling if you think of it that way.

Success is Having; Excellence is Being

2010-05-16T22:56:00.001-07:00

It seems like we’re taught from an early age the exact opposite though, I think I was. Or maybe it was that success and excellence are synonymous and you should therefore acquire as much as possible. I’ve acquired a lot of shit; literally that’s really what I got. Sometimes I find it hard to stop having and just being; lately I’ve been really struggling with it. I think that it’s a self fulfilling prophecy in that when I’m not “being excellent” I’m trying to fill a void by having more, then I look successful so it’s easier to ignore being excellent. It’s a viscous circle -- like a merry-go-round that never stops; it doesn’t even slow down enough for me to jump off. I’d like to know what it’s like to just be. Be me. Be free to enjoy whatever is at that moment. Be happy that things didn’t go my way, or be even happier that they went yours. If you stop and think about it, being is a lot simpler than having; so why do we work our asses of to have when all we have to do is relax to be. What a trick. What would happen if I didn’t get anything for one month; not acquire one thing for a whole 30 days. Could I even do that? I’m not talking about starving myself or buying gas to drive to work. I’m talking about having things, additional things that don’t get consumed or used; kinda like that movie Brewsters Millions. I think that movie said a lot more than people gave it credit for. What would happen if I wasn’t successful for one month, just 30 days of my life all I did was be and not have. It just seems so strange, but I’m going to try. In every situation I’m going to deny having something and if I can’t deny it, I’m going to write down those where I am forced to “have” something for whatever reason and I’ll post it here. An experiment, I wonder how it will go?

Child Development Right In Front of My Eyes

2010-04-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

I just got back from vacation with my family and I had some pretty interesting insight about my kids development. My twins Wolf and Dahlia are 14 months now and this is our first vacation longer than 2 nights since they were born. For me, it was the first time I ever spent that many consecutive days with my kids. Even when they were born, I only took about a week off. Ten straight days of constant contact with my kids, in contrast to my normal schedule (see them in the morning and night on weekdays and all day on the weekends). That’s what lead to a fascinating insight.

Child development is exponential and can be observed in real-time. That’s my insight. I think you’re somewhat blind to it if you spend all your time or only limited time with the kids. My wife is a stay at home mom and so she is able to spend every day with them. I’m an entrepreneur which has me see them on a frequent but limited schedule.

I watched my kids evolve right in front of me. One minute they understood how to say “bye bye” and wave when we explained that someone was leaving. The next minute they realized that people leave through the front door. I saw my daughter go to the door, when nobody was there, point and say “bye bye” and wave. She knew that was the place people leave from. We didn’t teach her that, she just figured it out.

They learn exponentially. My kids love their shoes. They love putting them on and walking around. They have many pairs. They know where we keep the shoes and go get them when we say to. One minute they know the concept of shoes. The next minute they know that there are different styles of shoes, different colors, ones for my son and ones for my daughter. I ask my daughter to get her shoes and tell her to get the pink Nikes, first try, nope; it’s my son’s white Adidas. I tell her no, those are Wolf’s shoes. She brings them to Wolf and disappears. She returns with the pink Nikes.

I think they even enjoy learning. They get a certain satisfaction when it “clicks”; it’s just inspiring to watch. When it’s cold, they wear hats. I think sometimes the hat’s itch, especially with the beanies. It was particularly cold one afternoon. We put the beanies on both Wolf and Dahlia. She didn’t like it so she tried to take it off. I said sternly, “no honey, it’s cold, you need to keep your hat on” and she did. About 30 minutes later, we were inside where it was warm. My daughter looked at me and pointed to her head. She friggin pointed at her hat and looked at me with questioning eyes and in silence she said “now daddy, it’s warm, can I take the hat off now?” I nodded and she pulled the hat off. I nearly lost it.

My wife see’s this stuff every day, but I don’t think she appreciates it as much because there is so much going on and she sees it all. Like me she is blind to the little things. It takes a change in perspective to see them. That change happened for me because I went from seeing them a little to seeing them a whole lot; I noticed a lot and I’m so happy to have had that experience and look forward to many more.

Henefer: Week 2

2010-03-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

Another week down and more demo, serious demo. It looks like a bomb exploded in our living room!

Next week they start with the foundation work then soon framing, yaaay; here are the rest of the pictures from week #2.

Henefer: Week 1

2010-03-28T18:05:00.001-07:00

Finally, permits in hand we break ground. Demolition goes fast and is kinda scary.

I hope it doesn't take too long; here are pictures from week #1.

Henefer Remodel - Before

2010-03-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

So we finally bought a new house. We decided on Westchester again, we just love it here. This time, we moved a bit west to Kentwood. It's just awesome there. We got luck and found a fixer on Henefer, which is one of the nicest tree-lined streets in all of Westchester. We had made a number of offers for various houses in the area over the past 18 months, no luck. Finally, after switching agents, which is a whole other story in itself, we bought 7818 Henefer, and we're so happy.

The house could have been lived in, it wasn't a total tear-down, but it was never really remodeled, so it was perfect to put some money into. It was by far the oldest and least updated (i.e. ugliest) house on the street, perfect!

So I'm documenting the whole thing, here are the before pictures

Capitalism, Democracy, Socialism… huh?

2010-03-27T22:55:00.001-07:00

I’m not a sophisticated finance guy. I really don’t understand much about politics. I was never really good in math and didn’t take too much to history. Some people might say I’m a bit of a simpleton, but most people that know me see more than that. I’m actually pretty interested in the things I mention above, I just come from a pretty “streets” view of it

I just finished watching Michael Moore’s latest documentary about capitalism and I really enjoyed it. He has a great way of simplifying complex concepts for people like me. The interesting thing about his movies is that in the process of simplifying things, he manages to debunk and in some cases make even the seemingly smartest people in the room look pretty dumb. Take his inquiry about “derivatives” for example. He first asks an Ivy League educated wall street guy to try and explain them, stumbling, he can’t. Then he plays a video of some head of Harvard economics board guy and he sounds more confused himself than even I was. It was pretty amazing.

So my question is this. I’m torn. I can’t figure out what’s best, or really, I can’t figure out what really works. Is it democracy, capitalism, socialism… or what? There seems to be good and bad in all of them? I’m also reading Atlas Shrugged (I’ve been listening to it actually, and since October) and Ayn Rand makes a pretty compelling argument for capitalism and a pretty gloomy portrayal of socialism. What works? What’s the political term for DemocraticSocialistCapitalism; a balance of all three maybe? I’m not interested in my slice of pie being limited in size, nor am I interested in handouts for “looter” and the straight up lazy; but I’m also not keen on the rich essentially stealing from the poor or pilots making 20K per year.

What to do?

That Newly Remodeled Taco Bell Says Alot

2010-01-03T22:28:00.001-08:00

There is a Taco Bell on Roberson at Beverlywood. I pass by there often on my way to a meeting I frequent. For a long time I noticed how ghetto that Taco Bell looked. It seemed to fit just fine in the landscape of other retail shops, donut stores and fast food joints. Beverlywood is actually a really nice area, but like most areas in Los Angeles, the adjoining commercial landscape is often pretty battered.

Well, to my surprise I saw that Taco Bell had been remodeled, and not the Home Depot vinyl window style either. The store is just incredible. I saw it at night so the landscaping and wall coverings were lit up with spotlights and wall sconces. There was architectural stone siding, great new Taco Bell signs, newly paved and lined parking lot, new tables, floor tile, windows, everything. It was quite stunning.

Whats the point? Well, although I do like Taco Bell, it’s not about Taco Bell in this case. It’s about progress. I love progress. That slight remodel to Taco Bell completely transformed the landscape of that block. I believe that one Taco Bell will drive the whole neighborhood upwards. Other stores and shops will follow-suit. Taggers are going to be less likely to spray their lame names on walls near there. Crime will go down. Happiness will go up. People like to be around things that look good. If we just improve the little things in our world, they will have an impact on the big things. After all, why can’t the Taco Bells look good too?

Two Words, Space Travel

2009-12-20T20:49:00.001-08:00

This is my response to just about everything these days. Well, not exactly, but I’m starting to think it should be. The concept has always fascinated me. I’ve posted before about my willingness to go on a 1-way journey to Mars. But now I’m thinking space travel is more than a dream, it’s a solution. I believe that space travel holds the keys to all our problems. Global warming, war, money, energy, food, natural resources, shelter, happiness, love and just about other issue mankind is facing today. Let me explain. If you haven’t seen this recent photo taken by the Hubble Telescope here it is.

Think about it. This one photo (Hubble Ultra Deep Field - HUDF) represents a small patch of our universe. Just look at how much “stuff” there is. I mean if we think that human beings are the only intelligence out there and that earth is the only source of “life”, we’re pretty damn self-centered. There is no question in my mind that there is so much more out there. Everything from intelligent life to unlimited fuels; there are food and energy sources, beauty that will make you cry and sadness that will make you feel alive. There is anything and everything we need and everything we can’t even comprehend. It’s limitless. Just imagine what we could discover if we spent 1 trillion dollars per year on space travel. Just a simple discovery of some rock hurling out there that filled with oil, or natural gas, or some other energy source that burns perfectly clean that we’ve never even heard of; or gold, or iron, or diamonds, who knows. Just stop for 10 minutes and dream about what could be out there and you’ll agree our problems are sill and surmountable.

Who’s on board?

Seriously, my pumpkins are SICK!

2009-10-31T18:31:00.000-07:00

I've nearly perfected the pumpkin carving process. Check out pictures from 2009.

Who is John Galt?

2009-10-24T00:03:00.000-07:00

Every time I travel I get to thinking. I get impatient too, and I often find myself sitting on a plane, agitated, needing to be somewhere else and doing something more. No, I’m literally stuck sitting center seat and listening my book. But there are few coincidences and I think not that my entertainment is Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged; oh how appropriate. I get to thinking about how much more I should be doing. I get to thinking about how much more we could be doing, as a company, and it frustrates me. We’re having a good year but success is a devil inside me and I can’t seem to sit back and enjoy it. It’s a sickness I know, but I love it. Although I’m not nearly finished with her book, I love Rand’s exploration of Hank Rearden, the steel tycoon, who has become such a monster for success; he cannot separate himself from it. He’s almost molten of the same liquid ore that pours the metal rails for Taggart Transcontinental. I see myself in him but I wish I was even more like him. Even as I cringe at the sad, numb assent his wife has for her husband, whom she deeply loves, I don’t care. I want it even more. But then I am alone most of the time. I imagine the truly loyal entrepreneur is alone. He must be. It’s not a good thing, but what can be changed in each of us. If I wasn’t meant to be this way then why would I feel such deep lows and precipitous highs? If one shouldn’t take business so personally then why do I derive so much pleasure from it? How many people don’t love what they do? Who is John Galt?

Great Men Always Have Too Much Canvas

2009-10-13T22:05:00.001-07:00

Have you ever heard this, neither had I until recently, but I love it. I think there is a number of ways to interpret this statement. On the one hand, it suggests that remarkable people often have too much going on to be effective. Or it can be construed that such people are cursed with a vision that extends beyond what can be accomplished in a lifetime. Or maybe it means that a man is as great by virtue of having too much to do.

I often feel like I’ve just got too much on my plate. I also feel like there is just so much I want to do but don’t know where to begin. Sometimes I have a hard time finishing things because I’m just on to the next. I’ve also found that the more knowledge and experience I gain, the less I know. In other words when I learn something new, I’m just a novice at that thing. So my breadth of understanding widens (my canvas) but my ability to paint on that canvas is limited. How do you manage your vision?

It’s Not What I Think; It’s Not What You Think. What is it Then?

2009-08-26T10:09:00.001-07:00

Aren’t most of us concerned about what other people think of us? I’m certainly afflicted with that character defect. But is that really my problem? Maybe not. As many times as I’ve been stopped by the fear of what others think about me I’ve come to realize what I thought they were thinking of me was entirely different than what they were actually thinking. In other words I was afraid of something that ended up not being true at all. Imagine living in constant fear of monsters in your closet. Of course most of us have grown out of that one because we now know that monsters aren’t real. So why do we let the fabrication of other peoples thoughts affect us? The truth is I don’t’ think we realize it. Since we can’t yet read minds, how then do we arrest this behavior? In my experience what I think your thinking is in fact what I’m thinking about you. In other words if I’m worried about you thinking I’m fat, or ugly, annoying, dumb, whatever, more than likely I think one of those things of you. The good news is that’s something we can control, what we think of others. If you want others to think good things about you, think good things about them.

Dog is God Spelled Backwards

2009-08-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

I’ve never been a deeply religious person. I do believe in God, but I don’t subscribe to the idea of there being one specific God, or the picture of the flowing robes and wild gray beard. For me God is just something greater than myself. It’s a force that I can’t really explain, only that I know it’s there and I can call upon it for help whenever I wish. Unfortunately I don’t do that very often, call upon God that is. I think that may be true of many people. God is something we look to when all else has failed us. But I know some people that seek the support of a higher power in just about every situation, and in my experience I get a lot more than I ask for when I am open to it.

On Sunday nights it’s my job to take out the garbage. This ritual is much loved by my dog Lewis. No matter where he is or what he is doing, when it’s time to do this chore, he’s on point. Lewis is well trained (unlike his sister, which is another story), so I can let him outside off leash. It’s a short exercise, but he loves it.

On more than one occasion after finishing our trash duties and coming inside, I realized Lewis wasn’t around. Due to the fact that his other pastime is sleeping, it could be an hour or two before I noticed he wasn’t here. A short look around the house proved he must have never come in with me. Upon opening the door I see Lewis coiled up on the front door mat, just waiting there. No scratching to come in, no barking, no whining, just waiting there for me to open up. I guess that’s what good dogs do.

But maybe it’s more than that. When I think about my relationship with God, I realize that he too is just waiting there for me on the doorstep. All I have to do is open the door and let him in.

One time after sharing this story with a few friends, one asked me if I knew that Dog was God spelled backwards. As someone who doesn’t believe in coincidences, I’d say that was about as good of a sign as I could ask for.

When was the last time you left the door open?

Great Filmmaking is a Subtle Foe

2009-03-29T23:48:00.001-07:00

It was suggested to me to try and articulate the following concept so I’m going to try. I apologize in advance if it makes no sense.

There are many facets to a good movie; the acting, story, writing and so on. But there is something subtle about a truly great film. I think most people don’t realize it’s happening when it does, but it creates a subconscious connection with the audience and brings everything together. It’s delicate and fleeting but it’s there. Sometimes I see it; in fact, for me I really tune into it. I don’t know how to describe it but I’m going to try.

I’ll start with a movie that I would never have thought I would have liked. In fact, when it first came out I wasn’t at all interested and almost embargoed it. That movie is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It was of course critically acclaimed and many agreed. But there were those two that didn’t get it and found it childish. I actually understand both sides. There is one scene in that movie that not only communicated the essence of the film, but also exemplifies my point about the subtleties that make great movies.

The scene is early on when Yu Shu Lien, played by Michelle Yeoh, first realizes who the thief that stole the Green Destiny sword. The thief, who we later learn is Zhang Ziyi’s character Jen. For most people watching the movie, this scene probably just flies by. The two of them are sitting at a table talking with a member of Jen’s family. Suddenly Yu Shu Lien knocks a cup off the table knowing that Jen will instinctively reach for it and catch the cup, which of course she does. The beauty of this scene is so subtle. What’s the real point here? Well, that’s the hard part. It just felt good when I was watching it.

I’ve tried to explain to people before but people don’t see it. One of the underlying themes of the movie is about raw talent untrained and the importance of training. Jen’s character is more gifted than anyone before her, but she has had no training. Yu Shu’s character has less inherent talent, but has been thoroughly trained. Later this is proven more when she fights Jen for the first time (the second best scene in the movie for the same reasons). Yu Shu’s subtle dropping of the cup demonstrates her superiority over Jen and for the first time Jen has a sense that maybe she doesn’t know everything. In this one scene the film is told and I fell in love with it then.

This is one example. There are many others.

BSG; Nuff Said

2009-03-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

So I don’t typically post about television (which is odd b/c I watch a lot of it), but I can’t end the weekend without talking about the grand finally of one of televisions greatest shows, Battlestar Galactica. Here’s the deal.

It’s a good time to share one of my recurring waking dreams as it relates to this final episode. I’ve had this image in my head for more than 20 years. One day I believe we discover another planet that supports life. I don’t assume there will already be life there (although I do believe there is life out there), but we will be able to inhabit it. Some people will want to explore it and others will fear leaving our planet. I am an explorer and would give up anything and everything to be part of the community that creates civilization there. I want to be involved in everything from building shelter to creating government. I want to develop barter systems and currency. I just want to be part of creating a society from scratch. The idea fascinates me.
Ok, I could go on forever on that, but let me bring back to BSG. One of the reasons why I’ve always loved this show was because of the underling and intertwined theme of a divine power. The show is based on the premise that there is something out there; something intelligent and more powerful than one species alone. This Higher Power so elegantly weaves the fabric of the universe that you are unable to believe in coincidence or that there is no plan.

The final episode of BSG brings all of this to head and leaves no loose ends. And, for me, best of all, the remaining “beings” are conveniently dumped onto a new planet that is at the beginning of evolution. Rather than bring the baggage, technology and history with them, they choose instead to start anew. They choose to be exactly what I’ve been dreaming of since being a kid. They choose to create a civilization from scratch. I just loved it.

The universe is vast and based on constructs of our own knowledge and imagination. What about what we don’t know we don’t know. There is much more out there, and I it is my fervent belief that our paths will cross and I will play a role.

Attraction Rather than Promotion

2009-03-17T20:49:00.001-07:00

Have you ever heard this before? Attraction rather than promotion is the belief that ideas are better communicated through actions rather than suggestions. Some may know it as Gestalt Protocol or more simply, lead by example. Well, I’ve had a lot of success approaching life this way, but I forget easily. I was recently reminded of this principle and I’m trying to put it into practice.

In my experience, people don’t like to be told what to do. And the more I try to do that, the more they resist, and the more frustrated and ultimately resentful I get. If I can focus on my own behavior and take actions that are congruent with what I want to communicate to others, it rubs off. This is true in business as much as it is in my personal life. I need to focus not so much in what needs to be changed in others as what needs to be changed in me.

How Ford, GM and Chrysler can Win Back Americans and Save the Auto Industry

2009-01-24T12:13:00.000-08:00

I often find myself day-dreaming about important business topics; I find it is a good way come up with innovative ideas. My current circumstances have me thinking about marketing a lot these days and in one such brainstorming session I began to think about our failing auto industry. I believe I have a solution to the crisis, albeit radical, one that will not only stimulate the economy, but also address the energy emergency as well. Here it is.

People are already not happy with the “big 3” because they have not stayed progressive; they have not adapted with the needs of consumers and the needs of our environment. I think everyone would agree American car manufacturers are way behind. On top of that, the American public is angry about the continued government bailouts and I believe are particularly perturbed that we now need to use tax dollars to save failing auto makers that don’t even make cars we want.

For these companies to succeed, even with the bailout money they need to win back the trust and dollars from the American people. I suggest they create a national advertising campaign and pledge to Americans that they are going to change. Ford, GM and Chrysler must promise to meet extremely aggressive timelines for new fuel efficient vehicles. Not just the same cars with slightly better efficiency, they need to take a stand on radical change. They must commit to building cars that get 50-100 MPG and that meet the needs of current and transforming consumers. They must assure the public that they will use the government money wisely and invest in this future, and share the progress openly. They need the public to see that they are making a do or die bet. If they fail to deliver on this promise, the go bankrupt and everyone loses.

In return, the car makers ask the American people to join the fight for change; ask them to make an investment in the future of our country and for energy independence. I propose the Big 3 offer them an incentive program to buy now and save later. The car makers would sell current makes and models today at fair prices where they can still make reasonable profits. In return, consumers that buy a car in the next 12 months at these prices, will get a coupon for the purchase of a car at manufacturer cost (that means below wholesale) of the future in 3-5 years. In addition, they would issue common shares of stock to these consumers so they are effectively investing in the future of the company.

This type of program would generate the much needed cash today for the automakers to invest in R&D and keep operations running while they develop the cars of the future. The key is that they actually must achieve the promised delivery dates of these new vehicles or they die. This is a marketing play into the current revival of American pride, which is being largely driven by the new government administration. In fact, there is a potential to get the government behind the program with more financial support if they actually achieve very specific milestones.

I equate the situation much like when the United States was determined to go to the moon. There was going to be no stopping us. We made an incredibly aggressive and radical commitment to achieve a goal that was almost inconceivable. The fact that American car makers traditionally sell to the middle class and the core of the country, I think they are in the best position to make an impact. To use an expression from Obama, the Big 3 represent “main street” more than any other companies. The car makers can take advantage of the human, especially American, spirit of renewal; that inherent desire to achieve greatness. They can simultaneously help fortify the economy, rally the masses and lead the way to energy independence.

It has been proven throughout history; people cause change. Rally the people and radical change will occur.

Twins! Nuff Said

2009-01-16T15:21:00.000-08:00

UPDATE - Pictures Here!

Well it’s been a long road, but my twins arrived safely yesterday. Please welcome Dahlia Pink Solomon & Wolf Patton Solomon. I’ll post many pictures including videos of the c-section soon, but I’m at the hospital still and I don’t have my camera transfer cable. What an amazing experience. Everyone says that. It’s just very cool. It’s exciting and scary. There is so much unknown. When they popped out I checked the basics, 10 fingers, 10 toes, etc. They look fine but I’m worried about what I can’t see. I guess over time parents just get used to the feeling of not having 100% control over the kids. I have to trust that God has a plan for them and everything will work out how it is supposed. I believe that anyway.

I think of myself as a pretty accomplished guy. I don’t know everything, but most of the time I feel like I know the things I don’t know. When it comes to raising these kids, I don’t know what I don’t know. I mean just in the last 24 hours I’ve had to learn and do things I’ve never done before. Feeding and burping and keeping track of this poop and that pee. I can’t tell you how many times these nurses have showed me how to swaddle these monkeys and I just can’t get it. Show me how to us a power tool once and I’ll build a house. Show me how to wrap a baby in a blanket and watch it fall to the ground after I pick them up (more videos on that soon).

Aya (my wife) lost a lot more blood than she should have after the c-section. She ended up having to get a transfusion. That’s a little scary because we don’t really know where the blood came from. She’s also quite sore and will not be at full power for weeks. I guess parental instincts just kick in though. I’m doing what I need to and I’m really enjoying it. A friend told me that kids are the best thing that ever happens to you, and whatever is second is light years behind that. I’m a really happy dad just trying to figure it all out.

I Built a Wall and I’m Proud of It

2008-11-11T21:14:00.000-08:00

Click the Image to View Photo Gallery

You’d probably think the title of this post is a metaphor for something; but the truth is I built a wall and I’m proud of it. My wife and I have a two bedroom house. A few years ago we decided that we could have a bigger master bedroom if we took down the wall between the two rooms, so I did just that. It was great for a long time. But, with babies on the way, we needed a second room (and then some). By the way, we are having twins in a few months if you hadn’t heard.

So a week ago I started putting back the wall. Well I love construction. I’m quite handy and I’d been itching to do a project around the house. Seeing as our room was going to shrink, I thought it would be a good time to replace our old “tube” television with a flat LCD in the bedroom. If I installed it on the wall, I would gain much more space on our dresser. And, since I was building the wall from scratch, I could run all the cables/wires/etc. in the wall so nothing would be seen. It was on!

Step by step, day by day I worked on this wall. First I framed it. Then I ran electrical. Then I worked on a conduit for the satellite, phone, network, HDMI, cables, etc. Next I put up one side of the drywall and the insulation; after that went up the other side of drywall. Then tape the seams, patch the nails and prep for painting. Finally, paint and baseboards. In about 8 days (not fulltime) it was done.

Aya photographed step by step my progress. You can check out my progress by viewing my Kodak Gallery. It turned out great, and yes, I’m very proud.

Reverse Marketing; Using Google AdWords for B2B Target Marketing

2008-09-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

I’ve had this idea for some time now and I feel like it’s time I posted it on my blog so I can at least claim it as an original idea before Google releases it, if they ever do. The concept came to me, like most of the ideas I have, from a frustration or limitation of some other activity or product. In this case the frustration that drove the idea was marketing to other businesses using Google AdWords.

I’ve been a long time Google AdWords customer and began using the advertising method for Leads360 about 4 years ago. While I have increased my keyword list and developed different strategies that have produced incremental performance benefits, I still can’t fully target the businesses I want to reach in an effective manner.

The great thing about Google is that when a potential customer searches a relevant keyword term and click on your paid AdWord, in theory, you get highly targeted and “interested” leads. For the most part this is true, however in the world of marketing, only a small percentage of you potential prospect base is actually looking for what you have to offer. In other words, if you sell widgets and you know there are 1 million people out there that want, need, could benefit from your widgets only a small subset of that group actually knows they need or want it and only that group actually searches for widgets on Google and get’s connected with you. What about the other, let’s call 95% of that pool that doesn’t search for widgets. That’s the age old marketing challenge and why television and radio have been a medium that continues to work, at least for targeting consumers.

In the B2B world TV and radio only work if you have a huge budget, that’s one of the reasons that the internet has exploded as an advertising medium. Still, the internet and search marketing is largely dominated by B2C advertisers. This leads me to my idea.

When I think of the businesses that I’m trying to target, they are actually B2C companies. That is they target consumers for their products; whereas I am B2B and target them. My question became: how do I target the 95% of B2C businesses that are not searching for my keywords on Google. The answer I came up with is that while they may not be searching for my product, they are actually using Google AdWords to promote their own products and services. And because I can research and understand what keywords they are buying, why can’t I “reverse” market to them?

Let me give you a real world example of how Reverse AdWords Marketing could work. One of the industries that we target is Debt Settlement. If you are not familiar with this industry you will be soon or you can read about in on Wikipedia. I estimate there are about 1000 businesses of reasonable size that are in this vertical. Of those thousand, most are doing some form of marketing (you’ve probably heard the radio commercials… “if you have more than $10,000 in credit card debt call debt savers of America…”). A good portion of those companies are advertising on Google using AdWords. It’s a great channel for these companies because they are targeting a growing sector of consumers that are in debt and need help. This trend will have them start at Google searching for terms like “get out of debt” or “eliminate my credit card debt” and so on. My potential debt clients are buying these keywords on Google and seeing a great return from them. What if I could also buy those terms but instead of showing my ad when a consumer searched for them, I would show up in front of the business while they are managing their AdWords account.

It’s pretty simple actually. When you login to AdWords to create an advertisement you must enter the keywords that you want to target. As soon as the debt company, in this example, put in one of the keywords I bought, my highly targeted ad would show up for them. Now I’m targeting the right customer while they are in marketing mode. Its not quite as good as a company searching for my keywords on Google, but it allows me to now target a bigger portion of the 95% that aren’t searching for me. Hooray!

The system works the same. I pay per click and I battle against my competitors or anyone else that wants to advertise to those companies. And, if there was pushback from advertisers not wanting to see ads when they are using the AdWords system Google could offer a small discount on the AdWords they are buying just to show the ads to them, which may just be valuable and less obtrusive than a cold call or spam email.

For Google this could represent a huge incremental and untapped revenue stream. Just my example alone I would spend an additional $5,000 per month on top of the $10,000 per month I already spend on AdWords. I would just move some of my marketing dollars from some other non-targeted method.

There are many hurdles to overcome I’m sure but when I think about it from a marketers perspective it’s a great way to advertise to a very targeted group of businesses and with my entrepreneurial hat on it seems like a pretty great way to make more money and dig deeper into the B2B internet advertising dollars.

Ok Google, run with it if you aren’t already. If you end up getting the idea here, throw me a bone.

Why Rising Gas Prices are a Good Thing

2008-06-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

The faster and higher the price of gas goes the better. Here’s my theory. History has proven that necessity is the mother of invention. Right now we need some serious invention to get the economy on track and develop long term sustainability for our country. Enter the price of gasoline. I believe that the country is largely driven by large corporations, and corporations will always do what’s most profitable; it’s capitalism after all. So when it comes to alternative fuels or vehicles, corporations will not change heading unless they can make more money. Why would Exxon shift focus from making fuel from oil when it’s the most profitable route, they won’t. So if gasoline slowly rises, say to $10.00 in the next 5 or 10 years, they will not be incentivized to do anything about it. In fact, they will likely model out that they will make dramatically more money by dragging US consumers through the mud and slowly bleeding them with up and down fuel prices.

But, if gasoline was at $10.00 say in the next 12 months, or sooner, the economy and consumer spending would come to a screeching halt. In particular any products, services or activities that require the use of gasoline will be avoided at all costs. Therefore the more profitable route for Exxon and GM would be to embrace the need for change, put all of their money into R&D and innovate new products as quickly as possible.

The bottom line is that if we wanted to create a sustainable, environmental friendly, inexpensive and plentiful energy source or if we wanted cars that looked cool, had great features and drove 500 miles per $1.00 gallon of whatever, we could. We have the technology. It’s all about how profitable it would be to figure it out. When it becomes more profitable to figure it out for our big corporations, then they will.

So next time you go to the pump and the price has gone up yet another 25 cents, be thankful. We’re well on our way to radical innovation.
I have much more to say on this topic.

My First Urinal

2008-06-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

I’ve been planning this post for a few months now, but I just haven’t gotten around to it. Here is a picture of my first urinal. You’re probably scratching your head and wondering what gives. Well, when I was a kid, maybe 12 or 13 years old, I wanted my own urinal. I really appreciated the simplicity and function of a urinal and that as a boy, I could use one while girls could not. Perhaps it was my lack of patience (which I still work on today) that had me love the velocity at which I could use the bathroom in high school. I could rattle off a number of reasons why I like urinals. But the real reason I wanted one was this.

I saw that urinals were only in commercial environments. Nobody had a urinal in their house. I thought that owning a urinal was a sign of success. If I had a urinal in my house I would stand apart from everyone else. My desire to be special (which is more of an affliction truth be told) had me want things that others didn’t have.

This is a common curse I think and I’ve done little to escape it other than recognize when self absorption drags me down; that of course is a different post. And while I don’t actually have a urinal in my house yet, I do now have one in my office (I part own the building). When it got installed I felt nostalgic and was reminded of how much I always wanted one. So here it is.

Theory of Singularity

2008-03-30T00:28:00.001-07:00

Something that has always fascinated me is the idea that human beings only use a small percentage of their brain power, something like 5-7%. I always marveled at the thought that all we've achieved as a race has been accomplished with a fraction of our brain potential. To me this suggests there is so much more we can do.

I've often theorized about how the human brain was really just a super powerful computer though computers have the ability to calculate mathematics faster than we can, computers have none of the real "intelligence" that humans have. There has been much written on the topic of artificial intelligence and the idea that someday computers will become smarter than humans. Ray Kurzwell is one such prominent author, thinker and inventor. His vision of singularity suggests that super-human intelligence will be achieved in the next 30 years. He has a great article in Wired on singularity this month that got me re-engaged in this topic.

My theory, albeit based on nothing more than intuition, which I also refer to as singularity, suggests something a bit different than Kurzwell. I believe there will be a convergence of artificial intelligence with human intelligence. I believe that because we only use a very small percentage of our intelligence that we have the capacity to meet the processing power of a computer. If you subscribe to Moore's law, which would lend credibility to the idea that computers are charging toward super-human consciousness, then you should also believe that it may be relative. That is to say other things in the universe may be expanding at an exponential rate.

Could it be possible that the human brain works the same way? My theory is that as computers become exponentially more intelligent we are learning how to unlock the potential of our own minds. I see artificial intelligence not distinct from human intelligence, rather a means to understand our own intelligence. The "human" artificial intelligence becomes, the more artificial our human intelligence becomes. This to me is singularity. It's the convergence of human and artificial.

Taking it one step further, I don't see AI as something mechanical. In other words I don't think of super-human AI as wires and microchips; I believe that as the technology expands it becomes more human. Eventually we don't build computers, we build brains. The progress in the bio-medical sciences converges at the same time. Ultimately we come to fully understand the construction of the human brain, enough to simply unlock the full potential effectively becoming what we think of today as super-human AI. It's really just super-human intelligence.

I don't know if this all makes sense. It's something I've been thinking about for more than a decade. Lately though I've felt a yearning toward understanding and explaining my thoughts. This recent article by Kurzwell got me thinking about it.

Happiness is a Warm Gun

2008-03-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

I've recently rediscovered The Beatles and have fallen in love with this song. Of course I'd heard it a number of times before, but this band never ceases to surprise me. I don't know if others of my generation have found this to be the case with them, but it's not the first time I've found something new in something old.

What I love about this song and about The Beatles in general, is the complex hidden inside the seemingly simple. Many of the Beatles songs are just so simple it's almost frustrating. My Mom once told me (who was fortunate enough to see them in concert once) that the boys could have written a song w/ lyrics that went "poo, poo, poo, poo, and more poo" and it would have been a hit. Ironically, my point here is that they didn't do that. Yes, some of the tunes we're downright insulting, but mixed with sophisticated and thought provoking words, The Beatles left their indelible mark, on me at least.

I bring this up because of this song in particular. I just love the visual here; "Happiness is a Warm Gun". On the surface if you fear violence then happiness is a warm gun. But if you have more faith then it's a false hope. Everyone wants the protection and care of something warm; everyone can identify with the powerful image. In the end, this song leaves me deep in thought; I love that.

Too Many Teachers and Not Enough Educators

2008-01-02T12:24:00.000-08:00

What is it?
I used to think that education was about the acquisition and development of memories and behaviors, including skills, knowledge, understanding, values, and wisdom. This is in fact the definition of learning, not education. I've recently learned that education actually means 'to draw out', facilitating realization of self-potential and latent talents of an individual.

To me, education is the catalyst for progress, and progress is driven by the impact we make. To educate is to draw out the impact we want to make on the world. People make the biggest impact when we're passionate about somthing. That passion comes from the inside and it takes education to draw it out.

Education takes many forms; ironically, I think we find it least in our schools. When I was in school, espeically pre-college, the cirriculum was designed around teaching me the things I should know. Really, I only learned the things that interested me. And the few times I was passionate about somthing, that topic had an impact on me and coincidentally I made an impact on the world. At those times I recieved an education, every other time I got a lesson. So, if impact is the product of education and passion is the root of impact, then its all about finding what we're passionate about. I think education is the process of identifying and drawing out of our passions.

Maybe we have too many 'teachers' and not enough 'educators'.

When do I do it?
I’m an educator whenever I’m inspired by something. When I see, hear, learn or come to understand something new that has an impact on me, positive or negative, I want to share that experience others.

When others are coachable, willing and open to new experiences or growth I want to be someone who facilitates that. When I see people that have a burning desire to grow or to express themselves, I want to help.

When there are no instructions, or when I or others don’t want to follow the provided instructions but rather create our own from the inside, I want to be a part of it. When there may be another way of doing something, as wild and unproven, I’m eager to follow the trail.

I educate when I see opportunity; when I see that the opportunity for progress in myself, another person, or the world around me I cannot extinguish a growing passion to do something.

How do I do it?
As I start to understand what it means to be an educator, I realize that it has been a subtle passion. In the rare cases where students have asked for education I have given and been visibly inspired by the process. However I regularly make an impact on others in more subtle ways. In fact, people often wonder what it is I have or why people want what I’ve got to give.

I think education happens when I do the things move me. I’m passionate when I share experiences. I tell stories. I create outlines. I write procedures. I come up with business ideas. I design products. I invent. I build. I organize things. I daydream. I align my thoughts. I improve what’s already alright. I think outside of the box. I lead the way. I trust myself. And I take risks. When I do those things I think I might be educating.

Why do I do it?
It makes me feel good when people experience or make an impact. It makes me feel great when I’m the catalyst impact. And because I believe impact leads to progress I get inspired by the process. I love when I hear stories about people who have caused change or inspired progress. I want to be in their shoes. So when I think about education on the individual level, such as a teacher/student relationship, perhaps what really inspires me is the larger impact we will have when there is growth on the individual level. In other words, it seems the biggest global impact comes from more frequent victories within ourselves. I guess I think it’s true when people say one person can make a difference. If everyone actually thought that way, then one person would equal many. That’s how we affect change.

I educate because I love progress. Progress is evolution and I believe evolution is not limited to our biology; it is the inescapable force that it inspires our continuous movement toward improvement.

Describe Your God

2007-08-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

I’m not religious, but I’ve always believed in some type of higer power. Recently someone asked me to describe my God. How does He play a role in my life. I started thinking about it and here’s what I came up with. For me, God is always there; giving me enough guidance so I don’t crash and burn, but enough freedom to make my own choices. I equate it to the Autopia ride at Disneyland. The race cars are on a track, but there is enough play on each side of the rail to make the turns. If you’re doing it right, then it’s a smooth ride. But if you are not quite on your game… BAM, you’ve slammed into the track. It can get pretty bumpy as you go from side to side trying to get your bearings. But you always know that you’ll make it to the finish line with nothing more than a headache.

That’s how God works in my life. He’s there. He makes sure I don’t crash and burn; but He gives me the freedom to steer the car. Sometimes that means I’m slamming into the rail… back and forth. But sometimes it’s smooth sailing; as if God’s actually driving and I’m just sitting back and enjoying the ride. I guess that’s the whole idea of letting go. The more I try to control the outcome, the rougher the ride is. Maybe it’s time to let go of the steering wheel for a while and trust God. Hell, it’s been a pretty bumpy road lately.

Normalizing Theory

2007-04-20T23:46:00.000-07:00

We are always trying to put more technology in rather than use what always exists. There is much research related to integration of technology into our brains. The purpose of this thinking makes sense to me. I believe it is in our nature to try to learn more about our brains and to develop more sophisticated ways to use them. Frequently research related to this topic is done to help people with disabilities. For people that can’t hear, scientists are working on implanting electrodes into the brain for sensing audible impulses. For those that can’t speak researchers are developing brain implants that reproduce words from thoughts.

The prevailing thinking is that we need to “implant” our man made technology into the brain in order to connect or communicate with it. While this makes obvious sense, I propose we look at the human body, and in particular, the brain, as part of the same system we think of as “man made”. Essentially what I’m suggesting is that we don’t need to build new technology to integrate into our bodies, we need to discover how to use the tools the body has already given us.

Nature and nurture are from the same cloth. That is to say that whatever we build or the theories we conceive are all based on the same laws of the universe. Why then do we think of nature, the body, the brain, etc. as separate from computers, internet, electricity, etc. It is all the same. If we look at the universe in such a way, then much more is possible. Thus the basis of my theory.

The normalizing theory is this; our mind already has everything we think we must build to achieve the goals we want. We don’t need to insert a wire into our brain to transfer data back and forth with it. We don’t need to connect our minds to the internet to have them communicate with each other. We don’t need to attach a hard drive to get more memory, or a calculator to do complex computations. The mind can already do all of this. What we need to do is figure out how to access these aspects of our mind.

The proof is in the freaks. From time to time we see the savants, these people that can do seemingly amazing things with their minds. Some can do complex calculations instantly and others can memorize gigabytes of data in an instant; not much unlike a computer. These freaks demonstrate that human beings can do a lot more with their minds; for some reason they’ve been granted access to these parts of the mind.

I will figure it out; I just have no idea how.

Come Around

2007-03-25T01:44:00.000-07:00

I have this concept called “come around”; I think I’ve mentioned it before. Charles, my business partner frequently exercises this quality. Sometime I get stubborn and ironically have a tough time coming around. The most significant and long lasting instance of this is with regard to the whole Mac vs. PC argument. I’ve always been a staunch supporter of PC’s; in particular, I love Microsoft. I really like the vision, albeit fleeting, of integrated systems. So forever I’ve played that card; no Mac for me. But I found myself saying to a die hard Mac guy last night that I might, in fact, be coming around.

I also love brand, identity, packaging, style, progress, etc. Mac, to me, embodies those things. Ironically, I deprive myself of the very concepts and principles I seek (now that’s not a new idea, humans have been doing that since day 1). So maybe I’ll give a Mac a try; because I believe I can have both. I think Mark Twain said something about holding two competing ideas in mind at the same time; I can do that.

What I Want

2007-03-25T01:37:00.000-07:00

I want to write a book, build a house, invent something, or two; produce a record; be inspired; trust the plan and follow the leader. I want to sell a company and buy one too; I want to lead the charge and run the show. I want to take orders, listen, learn, walk the moon and see the stars. Seriously, I want go into space; to be a pilgrim, colonize the planets, write a law, run for office and make a change. I would do anything to be liked, appreciated, loved and held. I could run a marathon, but I’m not a runner. I want to be respected, more than once; I want to see through someone elses eyes, do what they do, have what they have; but most of all, I want to want what I’ve already got. I want to be grateful and be gracious, a friend to my foes, a father, a mentor, a companion. I want to be of use in this world, and I want adventure. Imagine what I could have if I got what I wanted. That’s a life worth wanting.

Resentments affect me, not you...

2007-02-21T23:29:00.000-08:00

Resentments affect me, not them
It is said that resentments lead only to futility and unhappiness; in my experience this is all too true. It is also my experience that resentments are all too common. Recently a mentor of mine opened my eyes to five key steps to resentment remedy.

First, we realize that people who wronged us are perhaps sick. Second, we ask for strength to show them the same tolerance we would show a sick friend. Next we see our own mistakes and look for where we had been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking, and fearful. When we saw our faults we listed them; and finally, we admitted our wrongs and were willing to set these matters right.

It’s a simple process for a complicated person; but when I do the steps, things get better.

Whatever the Mind of Man Can Conceive, it can Achieve

2007-02-05T22:05:00.000-08:00

“Whatever the mind of man can conceive, it can achieve.”
If this is true, and history does seem to demonstrate that, then oh… what a wonderful thought. My mind is full of conception. Imagine, even the most “out there” idea, no matter how unbelievable, if this quote were true, would be possible. I love that concept. I love that my mind is part of an infinite universe of possibilities.

Today I’m going to open myself to this infinite universe. I’m going to make myself available and receptive to everything I want; starting with this: I want to make a speech to 10,000 people on something that I am passionate about. I don’t know what that will be, or how I will get there. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “take the first step in faith you don’t have to see the whole staircase just take the first step.” Maybe a little blind faith isn’t so bad.

Coincidence is no Accident

2007-02-02T23:52:00.000-08:00

I think I’ve always believed this, but now more than ever I know it to be true. The frequency at which I see proof of this is increasing at an exponential velocity. Lately I’ve been seeing coincidence coincide with coincidence. That is to say a coincidental occurrence happens within that of another coincidence.

Someone was telling me today about a movie; The Secret; that two people had told her about today. Coincidentally, a third person told us that she had hosted a premier party for the movie and had the movie for us to watch that day. During the film, a quote was presented “the more you resist, the more it persists”… coincidentally I had written a blog post last night with the same title. How does that happen? How does the universe deliver, so frequently, exactly what we need, and in many cases what we ask for directly? I love it!

The more you resist; the more it persists

2007-02-01T23:42:00.000-08:00

If you think about it you’ll realize, like I do, it’s all too true, and too common. Just about every day this rings true for me. I find myself fighting an uphill battle, often it’s just going on in my mind. As soon as I stop resisting, things fall into place. Like the Chinese handcuffs, stop pulling and they fall right off. That’s the great irony; and it’s part of what I love so much about the universe; that ironic and so simple way of the world. You might call it God, or science, or love or whatever.

When I just pause, listen to the universe just speaking to me, let go and let life unfold, things work just as they are supposed to. Easier said than done I guess.

Another Random Idea: Molecular Retention

2006-11-19T23:02:00.000-08:00

I’ve always been a dreamer and. I look at the world and the things around me and I want to make them better. This desire frequently manifests itself with invention. I’ve conceptualized many inventions, most of which have never materialized because I haven’t pursued them. Some of my ideas have come to life through no help from me. I suggested the idea of a toothpaste dispenser in the form a pump some years before it was released. Of course it’s possible that the idea was already in development, but I had no idea, so to me, it was innovative. There are on the other hand a number of ideas that have not been made due to technical restrictions; one of which I call molecular retention. The concept is basically this.

I believe there can be a way in which molecules can be fixed in space. That they can be locked to a specific pattern in the world we operate in; directly in the air or space one is living in; almost as a wall or a table exists in physical space as a fixed object. I theorize that molecules (of some type, bear with my ignorance of physics; I only have the concepts) can behave this way. If this were possible, this technology could be used for many amazing things. One novel, but greatly appreciated and subconsciously desired use would be for comfortably fixing ones body position. Think about how much energy is used to keep you body in any given position. Imagine being on the airplane, with little space to stretch out… what if you could position yourself in a comfortable way, then lock the molecules around you legs, arms, back, neck and shoulders so that you stayed in that exact spot with zero effort. It would be like a virtual floating hammock. Of course there would be millions of other uses of course, depending on how the technology worked and how much weight it could hold. Keeping buildings above the ground, parking cars on top of each other, floating highways, ahhh, the list is infinite; it would obviously change the world we live in.

Sound crazy, of course it is; I’m just reporting my idea and demonstrating about how my mind works. I have many other inventions; I’m going to start sharing more of them here.

The Sound of Progress; You Know It When You Hear It

2006-11-19T22:42:00.000-08:00

Recently someone asked what my favorite sound was. I thought about it for a bit before I realized it was the sound of progress. Progress comes in all shapes and sizes and yes it does make noise. Progress can be the construction of a new building in your neighborhood, or the hum of your computer. It can be heard when you drive your car or walk through the mall. Progress is all around us, and if you listen close, you may hear it calling you. I know it calls to me almost every day.

One Thing Organic

2006-10-01T23:13:00.000-07:00

When it comes to changing the world its mostly the extremists that we hear about. It’s the guy who lives up in a tree to protest forestation; or the one who goes on a vegan crusade for the humane treatment of animals. Not often do most of us think about this stuff; some of us, me included, praise “those people” for taking a stand and actually doing something about it. But not me, I wouldn’t stop eating meat unless it was unsafe or not use paper unless Staples stopped carrying it.

So what do the majority of us do to help the causes we believe in? Recently I started looking at it in a more simple way. Let’s take the whole “organic” thing for example. It’s simply unrealistic for me to stop eating what I eat and switch my whole diet to organic. It is however a possibility that I switch one primary thing I eat to organic. Milk; I drink a lot of milk (partly because I eat a lot of cereal). So I decided to start drinking only organic milk. By changing one thing I’m taking a stand and making a difference. If everyone started buying one thing organic, it would have a profound impact on the food industry. Think about it; is there one thing you can change for the better?

Getting Things Done

2006-08-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

My business partner at Leads360 Charles introduced me to a book called “Getting Things Done”. Although I haven’t read it yet, from what he’s told me, It’s right up my alley. I’ve always been someone who gets things done. My TabLists software is all about it. Recently I’ve been thinking of a new software product that addresses business productivity in a new way. Both Charles and I have a number of ideas on the subject and we are starting to formulate a suite of tools that will help individuals and businesses get more things done, faster, more efficiently and much smarter.

I think that 37signals has done a good job with their suite of business productivity tools; we started using BaseCamp with our partnership with HouseValues. There are some good concepts here, but I don’t love the software. First, the interface and design are not what I would expect. Furthermore, I think 37signal’s tools are too simple. Believe me, I appreciate the simplicity of a web tool with no bulky features. God knows there are too many bells and whistles out there. But BaseCamp in particular is a bit too rudimentary for what I want to do. There are a number of things missing, or perhaps done incorrectly.

For now, BaseCamp does the job; but it’s got me thinking in a whole different way. Charles and I will develop another software after Leads360, I’m sure, but its not happening soon. I don’t want to give away too much, but I’m interested in what Microsoft is doing with Office 2006 (or whatever they’re going to call it this time). I think the future of software is combining desktop performance and responsiveness with web based convenience and ease of use. I call it hybrid software, and its coming. Just adding the desktop app to TabLists makes the tool 100 times more useful and productive.

Thought is a Chain Reaction

2006-07-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

When I was in 6th grade an instrumental science teacher, Mr. Cagle, explained the concept of a chain reaction in such a way that it stuck in my mind permanently and caused, quite literally, a chain reaction in my thinking.

Mr. Cagle explained that engineers once did a demonstration of a chain reaction by placing thousands of mouse traps side by side, back to back in a perfectly sized room. Atop each mouse trap was a ping pong ball. Looking down at the loaded mouse traps, one additional ping pong ball was dropped from above onto the floor. “Snap” … the first trap shot an additional ball into the air after the dropped on triggered it. Now two ping pong balls drop and trigger two more traps and now four are bouncing. Those four trigger four more and now eight are airborne. Eight becomes sixteen and sixteen becomes thirty-two and so on. Here is where the magic occurs; as these traps keep popping and more balls keep flying, critical mass achieved. At one single moment every single remaining trap is popped and ever single ping pong ball is whizzing through the air. This is exactly what happens in a nuclear reaction with tiny atoms being smacked together. All at once, “boom”, they all go off and you have a chain reaction.

For me, thought can be a chain reaction. One thought leads to another and “bam”, total clarity as all thoughts connect to form a cohesive vision. As George Peppard so gracefully put it put it, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

What is Luck?

2006-07-15T00:49:00.000-07:00

Many people think luck is arbitrary or random. The very definition suggests Luck is just chance; fortunate happenings. My idea of luck is the deliberate result of a series of intelligent actions. It is predictable; it is planned; either conscious or unconscious, luck occurs when we behave in a consistent manor. Good or bad, luck comes to those who consistently set themselves up for it. If you watch closely, you can see the pattern.

In business, I think luck has everything to do with success and failure. A successful business is lucky because the people who work there consistently practice the principles that drive success such as hard work, discipline and creativity. Wanna get lucky?

Make Lists … Keep Tabs | TabLists.com

2006-07-02T01:18:00.000-07:00

I’m proud to announce TabLists.com our first on-demand software for managing lists. TabLists’s unique interface is very easy to use and gives you a powerful way to organize to-do lists. For a long time I’ve been making to-do checklists using graph paper. It works ok, but there are many limitations. Being web based I can access it anywhere. I can organize as many different list topics and items as I want, and keep track of completed tasks or just delete them when they’re done. You can see some pictures of my before and after at http://www.tablists.com/. I developed TabLists for anyone who is like me and just can’t live without lists. Try it!

It’s Not What You Do, It’s that You Do It

2006-06-18T01:13:00.000-07:00

The other day I heard someone say "Most of the things you’ll do in life are not that significant; it's significant that you do them" I really love this statement; it is this concept that keeps me going when I'm stuck. It gets me into action when I’m not sure what to do. As an entrepreneur I deal with this every day. For the most part I figure this stuff out as I go, so having a mantra that forces me to do something, even if I don’t think that something is altogether significant.

Goals Lead to Greatness

2006-06-08T23:12:00.000-07:00

Without goals it is easy to get stuck and complacent. I’ve talked about complacency being a killer before. Developing new goals regularly can be the spark a company needs to get to the next level. Over the past month I’ve seen a company-wide breakdown in terms of fire and drive. I spent the last few weeks trying to think of what I could do to get the fire back. I began the week by implementing several very tangible goals for each department and placed the responsibility on the department managers to come up with a way to achieve those goals. I empowered the managers to light the fuse in their own departments and encouraged them to push their people to each do some part in achieving the goals. It’s working. My professional services department not only put in motion the goal I gave them, but also came up with several new ones themselves. I think it’s easy to get stuck, especially when “you’ve arrived” as they say. Creating goals can be the little difference that keeps the bustle in your organization.

Blogging Best Practices

2006-06-04T00:27:00.000-07:00

I’ve been reading more about blogging lately; trying to learn more about the blogging medium as a marketing mechanism. Seth Godin recently posted a checklist on the subject blogging best practices. I’ve only been writing in blogs for about 6 months, which is somewhat strange seeing as I have so much to say. But I really don’t have that much experience with this medium. I think reading other blogs is starting to help me develop a style and certainly build some content. Daniel Stout has a lot of good things to say on the subject on his Manufactured Environments blog.

In The Ditches

2006-05-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

I’ve always been the type of business person that loves to get my hands dirty. I like to get down in the ditches with my men (and women) and dig in. A lot of the really fun stuff happens on the front lines in business. I get to see first hand where the ship is headed; and for me it’s not just about being there, it’s about actually doing some work there. In fact, in some ways I may enjoy it too much. There is something satisfying about focusing on a task, whether its building a website, creating a logo, writing a marketing plan, building a budget, whatever. Spending a straight 10 hours on one task until it is finished, no other interruptions, nothing pulling you from finishing; because, that’s the job. When you are in the ditches you have a job to do. You have a single task to complete and you focus on that. Of course looking down at the business from above and keeping tabs on what’s happening, as a CEO does, that’s important too. But that is not about focus on one thing. That’s about tracking many things. Sometimes I like working in the ditches and just hunkering down on one thing, till its done, and till it’s done right.

Our First Product Advanced List Management, Codenamed "xList"

2006-05-25T23:57:00.000-07:00

I’ll be talking more about this web based software soon, but I wanted to start talking about it now since I’m so excited about it. The guys over at 37 signals have gotten me pretty excited about launching this app. And although “xList” (codename) is a direct competitor with their product TaDa List, I think they would appreciate my solution. We’ll see.

xList has been a vision of mine for a while now. I’m one of those guys that uses lists, checklists, many of them on paper for just about everything. So when I decided to build a web based version of my paper list, I knew I could make something people would like to use. I’m hopeful anyway. More will be revealed.

What is Pitashi?

2006-05-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

What is Pitashi?
Pitashi is a Japanese word. What I love about the Japanese language is that their words denote the concepts that our words embody, they don’t represent a word for word translation. The word Pitashi is similar to “Bingo” or “Exactly”. Think of it in terms of the feeling that you get when you say “Bingo”. It’s not that Bingo itself means anything in particular; it’s the feelings that are evoked when you say it. Like when you’re playing dominos, and you have the last playable tile, and you slam it down and say “Domino!” It’s a feeling of satisfaction, a feeling of winning and being right. And who doesn’t want to be right? After all, isn’t that one of the core human design flaws principles, being right?