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Impossible
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Ideas & Questions
- Hits: 1662
Then there is the idea of "impossible".
We live in an impossible world. So much of what we take for granted - at one time or another, was considered to be "Impossible". And, with time and consistent effort, every impossibility has yielded, and become not only possible, but commonplace. Think of automobiles, airplanes, computers, cell phones. The list is endless.
The most important aspect of "Impossible" is the fact that whenever anything is generally accepted as "impossible", it generally is.
There are a few ideas as to why this might be, the most obvious is that most people will not spend time addressing the impossible, prefering to address the easy and difficult possibilities instead. And so unaddressed it remains impossible. But once addressed, impossible frequently proves to be a mirage, a problem with our thought or approach. We've created our own limits and boundaries. Impossible, then, becomes the easy answer to the flawed question.
Here are a few phases that relate to the challenge of impossible:
Phases:
#0: Not even considered. Of course, nothing is possible until first there is the idea or recognition of it; it must first be thought of.
#1: Out and out dismissal- not possible. As noted above, the problem or issue needs to be addressed before it can solved. Hence in this phase things tend to remain impossible.
#2: Rationalized: Considered, but dismissed as impossible. Impossible things are speculatively considered, but dismissed as impossible. Circuitous thinking at it's best (or worst)...
#3: The Challenge. The Impossible is attempted, usually with poor results. But as much depends on the approach, the next phase is crucial. Here you should have in your mind the fleeting and grainy black and white film image of a man flapping wax, paper or cardboard wings leaping off of a pier....
#4: Reconsidered, reapproached. retried. The impossible is approached from a different angle. Now consider the more lasting image of the Wright Brothers.
#5: Perhaps failure again. If failure, redo step #4. [Note: often things end here because people keep retrying the same approach. Key is knowing when to vary approach and effort.]
#6: Success
Once conquered, you have the exception, you've disproved the rule, it is no longer impossible, and with patience and continued effort the exceptional will become the rule.
Find something impossible to do. Then give it a try. It might be easier than you think.
Of White Whales and Dark Energies
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Link of the day
- Hits: 1844
Science and history made fascinating. A short but excellent read on the history and discoveries that led up to the current theories of Dark Matter.
Dylan Thuras should write textbooks.
Link: www.htmltimes.com
You've let yourself go....
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 2355
It's easy when you work from home. You don't need to dress up for work, and so you don't, you stay in all day, in PJ's or sweats sipping coffee.
It's a good life, there's no office politics, no commute you reflect as you sip your fourth cup of coffee for the day and wonder if it's still too early for a nap. You stop shaving, first every other day, then only whenever you remember, your new "time management" strategy, time saved shaving is time that can be used on projects. And bathing isn't so important, when you don't see people every day, and so you save time and money by not running the hot water.
The beard and hair grow longer, but you're not too concerned, you can get it cut the next time you're downtown.
And you love this working from home, no laundry for the dry cleaners, your schedule's your own, until one day you have to run downtown and you notice the homeless are guarding their shopping carts from you, are they afraid you might steal their bottles? And somebody you don't know offers to buy you a coffee, finally you run into an ex co-worker who stops you to chat, she's concerned, and you see yourself in the reflection of a window behind her, the uncomfortable realization growing, a painful flash of self consciousness....
You've let yourself go.
2 Cars. I'll take the bus.....
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 2232
I have 2 cars. The first, an blue 80's Chrysler Daytona. A friend gave it to me about 4 years ago, it's been a good car, I've put around 80, 000 Km on it with a minimum of maintenance, 2 alternators, a tune up, runs great. But the doors have stopped opening, or to be more precise, closing, when you open them they fall down off the hinges, and so we keep them closed and hop in through the windows. Apparently this is a common thing for this car. "It's Cool" I tell the kids, but I don't think they believe me. What parent is an authority on "cool"? And the electric's are a bit funny, and so the windows don't always close when you're inside and the speedometer doesn't always work, but these are small things, it's a good car, it runs great. A couple of months ago, though, it got a flat, and so I parked it in the driveway, it's been filling with snow and leaves ever since.
TO fill in the gap a friend gave me her old car, a black 90's Volkswagon Jetta, she had just bought a new car, "this car", she warns me, "could die at any moment", and so forwarned gives me the keys. And I've been driving instead, flagrantly disloyal to the blue car, the children liking the novelty of getting in through the doors, the boy had been getting self-conscious of jumping in through the windows of the old car when I picked him up from school (he wasn't buying my arguments about how this was "Character building", he saw it as proof instead of my lack of worldly success). And he's sort of proud that I've got this new car, this Volksagon, his mom has one too, so I must be coming along in the world.
At first the black car sort of runs OK, but not really, it over-revs, my door and the windows stop working as soon as I take possession, the engine smokes as if it's on fire whenever I stop for a red light or get stuck in traffic. But it's better than nothing. Soon, however, the cars fate is sealed, the transmission dies, there is no prospect of affording another, it's beyond repair, time for me to call the Kidney foundation, or that number I found tucked under the windscreen - 'Cars Towed by Vince'...."how could they tell?" I wonder.....
I'm pissed off. I've just filled it with gas, with antifreeze, I checked the transmission fluid, but it's always the way.
I have 2 cars, but I'll be taking the bus.
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