Friendship and community

Posted on January 23, 2008
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All of us in community - and especially, perhaps the people with responsibility - can carry a load of frustration which cannot always be expressed in a group without endangering the community itself. The more sensitive we are, the more we are weighed down by those feelings of frustration, anger, anxiety, incompetence, sadness, and apathy. We have a tremendous need to pour all of this out to someone in whom we feel secure. We may need to say how much we detest someone who challenges us, without being accused of a ‘lack of charity’. We may need this outlet for our emotions if we are to refind peace. But the person who becomes our ‘dustbin’ has to have the wisdom to collect all this without getting worked up about it, without trying to set everything right and without either judging or enjoying it; nor should they encourage bad feeling.

Jean Varnier, ‘Community and Growth’, p.142.

Friendship

Posted on January 12, 2008
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A Time to Talk

by: Robert Frost

When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don’t stand still and look around
On all the hills I haven’t hoed,
And shout from where I am, What is it?
No, not as there is a time to talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod: I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit.

Starting small - a key to success

Posted on November 18, 2007
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I was reading through the story of brining mobile phones to Bangladesh. Its the tale of GrameenPhone — a partnership between Norway’s Telenor and Grameen Bank, co-winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize — illustrates a new approach to building business opportunities in the developing world.

“Nothing good in society ever started out big,” says Quadir: verything good, whether it’s a company or an institution, tarts small and grows and spreads. If the idea is no ood, it doesn’t spread, and no harm is done.” source

Iqbal Quadir’s story is worth the read.

Blogs about blogging end up being boring

Posted on November 13, 2007
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I really enjoy blogging. Even though it might be hard to see that from my level of blogging at the moment. I read quite a few blogs each day through Bloglines and I think that I can safely say that blogs that just talk about blogging end up being repetitive. After all there is only so much you can say about writing posts and ads.

I realise that my blog is not the best example of how to make a successful blog but I love it anyway. It follows no rules, it is rambling and shifts in its focus but its fun and like the fact that I can post here whenever I want.

Giving a speech - tip

Posted on November 8, 2007
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If your speech needs to be prefaced by an apology…

don’t give it. (seth)

Ubuntu - how to access and write to the server

Posted on October 13, 2007
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I know I am very new to ubuntu. I’ve made the switch almost completely and am very rarely using windows anymore.

However I have a file server setup at home and was accessing it from windows xp mapping it as a network drive. The problem I had when starting to use Ubuntu was that although I could access the files I couldn’t save them back to the server.

I found the answer in the samba config file. Permissions are everything.

It works!

The future from 1967

Posted on October 12, 2007
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Clip from the 1967 film 1999 A.D. in which we see the family of the future shopping, paying bills and using electronic mail from home.

Teddy Roosevelt on Leadership

Posted on October 4, 2007
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Theodore Roosevelt said “The best executive is one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”

Freelance Switch

Posted on October 3, 2007
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I have enjoyed many of the articles that have been written by Freelance Switch. Even though they are only 6 months old they have build an impressive following.

I especially liked this tool the hourly rate calculator.