dr randy pausch died on 25 july 2008 age 47. the father of 3 was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and lost his battle, but not before giving a series of lectures called the "last lecture". he talks nothing about the disease, religion or dispair. but his brilliant spirit shines through as he talks about achieving dreams, help others achieve their dreams and the quality of life in general.

very moving.

the first one is done on oprah winfrey (~10mins)...

source site - How Simplicity Can Help Creativity, Briefly

The judicious application of simplicity can help someone to create, whether that’s writing, creating art, designing, teaching, starting a small business, or in some other way making ideas take shape into reality.

People who want to create are hampered by complications — tools that are too complicated, projects that are too overwhelming, the distractions of the modern world, too many cooks, too many options, too busy.

Simplify, and many of these problems go away.

Clearing clutter is a great way to create space for new ideas, thoughts and creativity.

The hectic information age is generally bad news for creativity. We cannot run away from 24/7 service, technologies and communication. However, we can strive to do less in every area that we work on. Find non-value adding stuff. Ruthlessly chop them off.

Use technology to simplify.

Challenge everything we do. Why do we do things we've being doing all this while?

source - Seth Godin on the tribes we lead | Video on TED.com

Some of the most basic things regarding change is being able to influence small groups of like minded people towards a cause. these small groups can multiply the efforts towards change provided that the tribal leader steps up to the role and drives the vision.

This video perhaps tells nothing new, but today's society and technology makes the possibility of tribal changes become a lot more effective.

Today was a bit of a busy day.

started with some discussions on some home design with ju, hijaz and kahar. they shared their websites as follows:

http://www.blogger.com/profile/16807998016910934448
http://bahahouse.blogspot.com/
http://bungalowdesign.blogspot.com/
http://sabrihouse.blogspot.com/
http://zainihouse.blogspot.com/
http://hizalsbungalow.blogspot.com/
http://binarumah.ambok.net/

unfortunately, our ambitions are not for big houses. :)

source site - TG Daily - Bill Gates' new mission: Saving lives

When you already have transformed the way the world works, what do you do with the second half of your life? Ask Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, the insanely rich guy we so often loved to hate, but who is being credited with bringing computing to the mainstream. Today, Gates released the first annual letter describing his new role at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. What we read is a passionate introduction to the challenges and goals of his charity. And I remember the old saying: There are those who say they are saving lives, and those who actually do.

this is pretty inspirational. yes, i do not like bill gates the microsoft man. but bill gates the man, is a different matter altogether. even at microsoft he was singularly focused on changing the way we work. i believe that this singular focus will allow him to achieve good things with his foundation. his work at the foundation is described on his 2009 annual letter.

this is one of the best ways to see wealth being shared across the world.

source site - Pivotal role

RAISING children is a paradoxical task. It starts out really hard for parents who want to do a good job of caring for their children. You think that all the hard work will pay off as the child gets older, but things do not always stay the same.

Parents have to be consistent when dealing with children, yet they have to keep up with the changes as their children grow and develop.

source site - Productivity 2.0: How the New Rules of Work Are Changing the Game | Zen Habits

For years, books and articles and blogs on productivity have been showing us how to be more productive: crank out the tasks, multi-task, work faster, be organized.

In short, they’ve taught us to be a good part of a corporation that wants more out of us. But that’s old-school productivity, or Productivity 1.0.

source site - How to Persuade People With Subconscious Techniques - wikiHow

Persuasiveness is one of the most important skills anyone can learn because it is useful in countless situations.At work, at home, and in your social life, the ability to be persuasive and influence others can be instrumental for achieving goals and being happy.

source site - Zen Moments - the great power of small things
source article - The Cab Ride I’ll Never Forget

We’re conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware - beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.