Memory Comes In 3’s

So it seems like the human mind can fundamentally only remember things in threes.

Whether it’s a joke about serving 3 meals: Frozen, Microwave, and Take-out. 

Or Even washing your hair: Wash, Rinse, Repeat. 

How about what to do when there is an:

Active Shooter: Run, Hide, Fight

Fire: Stop, Drop, Roll

Earthquake: Drop, Cover, Hold On

G-d forbid there should be 4 or more steps to do something, and mankind would be beyond his/her mental limitations and at a virtual standstill. 

So read, remember, and use this appropriately–that’s the 3 things to do now with this post. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Messed Up By Norton Clean

So I got this message on my computer that it’s time to run Norton Clean.

Oy, what a mistake. 

This tool is not ready for prime time. 

It’s supposed to optimize memory and clean up duplicate and residual files.

But in my experience, it swept up more good files than junk files. 

And I ended up having to pull my files back from the trash and manually restore them to their file structure. 

What a pain in the you know what!

Artificial intelligence–not way the I see this utility/tool. 

If you don’t pay attention, you can lose a lot of important information. 

Yes, it gives you a chance to review the files, but then what do you really need this cleaning tool to begin with. 

Maybe you have a different experience, I can only speak for myself. 

But a little human intelligence goes a long way to sift through the wheat from the chaff–that’s what your files really need anyway. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

A Beautiful Crane

I took this photo in Lake Needwood yesterday. 

A most beautiful crane.

Such a long neck, skinny legs, smooth feathers, and a yellow beak.

When it took flight, it was so amazing. 

It’s wingspan was huge. 

And it soared and glided through the trees and into the sky. 

I wish I could have caught it all on video. 

So free, elegant, and graceful.  

There was something almost heavenly about it. 

Imprinted it on my memory–loved it. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Morning Entertainment DC

So this morning there was an interesting banjo player in downtown DC.

He was playing and this little dog in the shopping cart behind him was jumping around dancing. 

Sometimes I wonder as I get older:

– Will I remember all these scenes from my day-to-day life?

– Will they seem real or more like a surreal fantasy?

– Will I feel that I stopped “to smell the roses” or simply hurried on by doing all my things?

In each person a soul–but do we see the spirit or just the bodily facade–somebody homeless trying to get by, a simple distraction, street entertainment, fleeting fears of mental illness or other dangers, just an annoyance maybe, or a handout for someone in need. 

Ever wonder who are you and why are you deserving (or not) to have the fancy suit, tie, shoes, and bag, nice haricut, and are going to a cushy job and fat paycheck, while someone else is standing on the corner playing the banjo?  😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal) 

Death To PowerPoint

Ok, we’ve all heard of “Death by PowerPoint” (well, I’m advocating death to PowerPoint). 

It’s the unfortunate occurrence that happens when a speaker presents a wad too many slides (OMG, some people seem to go on and on forever –get them off that podium)!

Or when they present too much information, too little information, or just don’t know what or how to present at all. 

Their (slide) presentations leave the audience basically wanting to just kill themselves, if not the inconsiderate S.O.B. speaker.

But aside from lousy speakers, you have a crappy presentation mechanism, which is PowerPoint slides.

Hello out there, tell the truth…

Can any of you remember much of a darn thing that anyone has ever conveyed to you by PowerPoint?

Think of webinars, conferences, and meetings galore with slide after slide of 2-dimensional boredom.

Is your head hurting you yet or are you just glad you can’t remember any of it–natural selection of memory saves you the pain…why thank you.

Then consider what someone has told you in great thoughtfulness, confidence, or with genuine passion, caring and sincerity.

– Perhaps, the wisdom of a parent or teacher who took you aside to tell you a life’s lesson.

– Or a Rabbi or Priest who shared with you something spiritual and uplifting to guide you on your path.

– How about someone in the office who was passionate about an idea or project and who motivated you as well.

Most of the communication between people that really means something never makes it to a PowerPoint slide.

Imagine for a moment, if something meaningful was conveyed to you by slide presentation–you would think, how ridiculous it is to use PowerPoint for that?

– I love you–will you marry me?

– We’re having a baby, how wonderful. 

– Just got that promotion, yes!

– So and so is sick or just passed away, how terrible. 

PowerPoint just doesn’t happen here in real life–thank G-d!

And no matter how much organizations such as TED would like to make a (show)business out of presentations using PowerPoint…(ah, nope).

Real communication happens when one person talks from the heart to another person who receives it in their heart. 

The greatest orators in history…never used a slide presentation.

Other presentation products like Prezi tried to take slides to the next level with a storytelling format using a virtual canvas, but that didn’t pan out to well either…see many Prezis lately (and without getting dizzy)?

PowerPoint slides, and the like, are for distraction…now I don’t have to pay that much attention to the rambling, numbnut speaker anymore.

The bottom line…we don’t listen with our eyes!

Rather, we hear words of wisdom and see when someone is genuine, sincere and worth listening to.

The rest is PowerPoint… 😉

9/11 Remembrance

“Never Forget Project” – 13 years after the tragic events of 9/11.

2,977 American flags at local university in Washington, D.C. 

Question: With all the weighty terror threats aroud the world, including the latest and largest from ISIS–is never forgetting the same as doing everything possible to make sure it doesn’t happen again?  

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Riding The T-Rex

Rebecca got me on another mini-adventure today.

The T-Rex scooter had only 3 wheels, but packed quite a punch.

We navigated Las Olas and the Fort Lauderdale Beach pretty good in this thing.

So low to the ground, my hand could touch it, and no windshield so everything sort of just flies right through.

It was only an hour, but as we in this touristy-way waved at the passerbys and speed around town next to the other hulking vehicles, weaving and beeping on this crazy horn, it was a fun time and a good memory. 😉

(Source Photo: Dannielle Blumenthal)

Favorite Hypnotist Act

This is my favorite comedy hypnosis show with Marc Savard.

He suggests under hypnosis to this big guy that whenever he hears the Mexican Jumping Beans music, the guy will become active and his shoes will go 100 mph dancing an Irish Jig.

And sure enough, this guy dances away…and he does it well.

The music stops and the guy settles down.

Marc Savard scolds him that he is interrupting the show with his wild dancing.

The big guy is embarrassed, says “really sorry,” and that “it won’t happen again.”

But it does!

Savard threatens to have the troublemakers escorted out by security.

The big guy says “don’t do that.”

Savard says, I’m watching you.

Each time the music comes on and the big guy can’t control himself and starts dancing, and when the music stops and he realizes what he’s doing, he is visibly exasperated with himself.

It’s also funny, when Savard goes “you wouldn’t go to the Blue Man Group (another competing act in Vegas) and do that Sh*t!”

I am a skeptic when it comes to hypnosis, but overall, this act gets an A+. 😉

Skiing The Rainbow

After the rain stopped finally, we got to go jet skiing off the Ft. Lauderdale beach.

The waves were insane though…

The instructor tells us, “Oh be careful, because the waves can turn the jet ski over–especially when you’re coming in and out–and it weights 900 pounds!”

Trying to get on this thing with the sand shifting under my feet and the waves making this thing flip up like a bucking bronco–let’s just say that I had more than a few second thoughts.

But for my daughter’s sake, we went forward–BTW Rebecca, you were very brave and I thank you for making me do these things and come out of my comfort zone.

It was a scary, but amazing time, and a spectacular rainbow came out for the event (in fact, it was a double rainbow, which I had never even heard of).

Being a bunch of city kids, this was an awesome sight for us.

Thanks to my wife for taking the short video of our journey today, and thank you to G-d for bringing me to this moment.

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Picture Frames For The Computer Geek In U

Found these 2 interesting pictures frames.

They seem the perfect gift for that computer geek in your life.

The one on the left looks like a memory or circuit board in the computer.

While the one on the right is made from a recycled keyboard.

I like that they are both made from recycled material and of course, the computer theme.

While not exactly the computer geek, I think they are very cool, indeed. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)