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Everyone went to sleep after an evening of turkey, and games.  I stayed up a bit and doodled this little monkey. 

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Teagueduino from Teague Labs on Vimeo. Read more about Cool Nerd Stuff

I used to draw a lot.  I have old sketchbooks filled with scribbles and thoughts and ideas.  Looking back I think it contributed to my clarity and general superpowers!  ;)  Creating things freely, without worrying about conforming to rules or timeframes was great exercise for my brain.  At the same time, practicing mental focus and attaining "Flow" or a zen-like state of consciousness of simply being in the moment and purely expressing myself, is an amazing state to attain.  (It could also lead to run-on sentences). When you learn to get in to a state like that, it will improve your focus and clarity in anything you set your mind to.

In more recent years, a different phase of life I guess, I've spent more time working within specific parameters.  Sometimes attaining "Flow", but usually not for long, as interruptions are frequent.  There's been little unbridled, unbounded creativity.  Just exploratory practice at anything for extended periods of time is difficult amid all the things requiring attention.  Even my guitar, while I have improved over time, only gets picked up for a few minutes here and there.  And because I'm trying to learn specific things with it, there's not a lot of freedom of expression.  Actually the times I enjoy the guitar most in those short sessions is when I'm just goofing around, improvising over a blues song.

In an attempt to unlock my mind again, free my creativity once more and perhaps balance myself, I've put a sketch book in my pocket.  The sketchbook mobile app for the iPhone has been fun to play with.  It's been interesting getting used to drawing on a small screen with my fingers, but I'm getting the hang of finger painting with pixels.  I'd never have called myself an artist, even at the height of my doodling days, but I'm going to start posting some of the things I create in this totally awesome app.  I was always pretty shy with my drawings back then but hey, this is pretty fun and this is the digital age.  It's easy to share with a million people I've never met, so anything here tagged with "doodles" will have something I've drawn.  If I'm going to share my thoughts in words, I might as well share them in pictures too.

Here are a couple of first doodles, enjoy, comment, whatever.

First time playing with layers in this app.  Like I said, I'm no artist, just let my fingers do the painting, playing around, getting used to the app.

Got ambitious with this one and also shelled out the couple bucks for the full version of Sketchbook.

Reference photo for this is my nephew, a Tattoo Artist in BC.  Layers and brushes and details, oh my!  Also a few hours up past my bed time. Read more about Sketchbook Mobile App

Diaspora is LIVE! If you don't know, Diaspora is a DISTRIBUTED social network that's focused on privacy. Now before you go, "oh whoopty doo, another social network", checkout this page to find out why Diaspora exists.
http://whatisdiaspora.com/

It looks a lot like Google+, which launched earlier this year, and there's a reason for that. Apparently Google liked Diaspora so much, they basically copied it's look and feel, and more importantly it's "Aspects", which became Google+'s "Circles". A method of controlling who can view each thing you post by separating people into groups.

After Google+ launched with it, facebook quickly implemented a similar feature too.

The thing I like best is that Diaspora isn't controlled by one corporation, determined to track and capitalize on your interests and your social connections. It's distributed, and a Diaspora "pod" can be hosted by anyone who knows how. These "pods" connect to each other seamlessly so if you join one pod and I join another, we can still be "friends". ;)

The code is "open source" so there's a community of people around the world contributing to it and anyone can view the code to see exactly what it's doing. You don't have to guess at what it intends to do with your data and because it's community supported there are no ads and no hidden agendas.

You can signup at https://diasp.org/
Wanna checkout different "Pods" first? http://podupti.me/

I need some friends! Make a post with #sleepingmonk and I'll find you! Read more about Diaspora is LIVE!

Coming soon, the newfangled portal to everything Calvin...

Stay tuned! Read more about This site needs a makeover... again...

Here's something about me. I don't have time for bullshit.

I've endured more than enough of it in my life. I'm sure most of us have. But ever since I grew wise enough to know that I control my own destiny, I've aimed to suffer as little bullshit as possible.

When I see bullshit on the horizon I steer clear.

If I'm in the same room with bullshit, I make a hasty exit.

If I happen to accidentally step in bullshit... well... I guess it depends on how much I like the shoes. Cut and run? Or take the time to clean them up?

Bullshit + Friends

Generally, my real friends call bullshit if they see it. I appreciate that and try to return the favor.

Bullshit + Work

Unfortunately, in the course of serving the greater mission of my business, bullshit may be encountered. There are 2 types of bullshit here. Small stinkers and huge piles of steaming BS. So far it's just been extremes for me. I've yet to encounter what I'd classify as a medium variety.

Small stinkers are ok if they squeak by without much discomfort. But if they sit around for a while... they really get nauseating. Then just cut and run man... cut and run....

For big steaming piles... I don't care... I don't need your business that much.... I do a 180 and walk away.

Bullshit + Family

Well some family bs is pretty bad. I ignore some, I avoid some. Shit's not as bad as it was back in the day. Though I might only think that because I've become good at avoiding and ignoring it.

Bullshit in my own home.... THAT must be dealt with. Thankfully, there's not much, usually. But when there is... the only thing that matters is clearing it out. Everything else is expendable.

Bullshit + Life

I have a pretty simple behavior model. Imagine the future, take stock of the present, take steps to remove the disparity between the two images. Rinse, repeat, enjoy. Always remember to enjoy.

If something or someone doesn't fit the future image... phase out or avoid. Focus on what does fit and you'll find more of it.

If we're not growing, we're dying.

We're always changing anyway, why not make it a change for the better?

It doesn't seem like a bad way to live to me. It frustrates me to see people hurting, unhappy or unfulfilled and just sitting in it.

What do they get from it? Why is it better to them, to sit there and complain by word or by action, than to do something else? Read more about Bullshit

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