The Seven UP Documentary Series is an amazing experience that is entertaining, informative and thoroughly engaging. It is a collection of seven documentaries that follow the lives of 14 British children every seven years from the age of seven to 49 in the most recent release. The premise of the film was taken from the Jesuit motto “Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man,” which is based on a quote by Francis Xavier.
It is fascinating to see the these adorable little children on the playground talk about their hopes and dreams and then instantly cut forward seven years, fourteen years, twenty one years and so on. It is amazing to see how some of the boys and girls had a keen sense of what they were going to be when they grew up while others were totally clueless.
I think this series which started in 1964 was like the first reality TV show. There is so much to learn from this series and so much to enjoy as well. It forces you to remember your own youth and the things you hoped and dreamed for as well as some of your friends. It naturally makes you feel reflective and at the same time inspired to do more with your own life. Sure, we are not under the scrutiny of a film crew every seven years, but we shouldn’t need such pressure to stay focused on our aspirations in life. As a matter of fact, it is so informative that many therapists, social behavior professionals and educational institutions use this series as educational material.
Michael Apted has directed most of the documentaries. He always does a wonderful job being sympathetic to the subjects, understanding how sensitive and painful it can be to share your life in such a public manner every seven years. He has made many other excellent movies, including “Coal Miner’s Daughter”, “Gorilla’s in the Mist” and most recently, “Amazing Grace”. Roger Ebert has stated that this series of documentaries is in his top ten movies of all-time. After viewing just one of these installments I think you will agree.
Here are some video clips from the most recent documentary called 49 UP which includes footage from the previous six installments.
Do you know that you could actually create your very own google search engine that will search only the websites and resources that you specify? Simply go to Google’s Customized Search and create as many unique types of search engines as you want. You can customize the look and feel and even embed the search engine on your own website and invite others to contribute resources for the search engine.
Here’s an example of a search engine that I created and enjoy using a great deal:
Paisano’s Freeware Search Engine
As a freeware junkie, I am always looking for the best freeware tools and utilities, so I’ve stock-piled a great collection of websites that offer freeware. It made sense to build a freeware search engine that would search through only these freeware sites, thus providing valuable and relevant search results every time. It’s also a great time saver because it means you no longer have to visit each and every site to perform your searches! Now you can perform your search from one place. Cool, huh?
You will see all of the search engines that you’ve created
Click on the control panel to make changes such as the look and feel or to add/remove websites, etc.
Here’s what it looks like:
Summation: What search engine can you build today? The possibilities are endless! Think of your niche and field of interest or expertise and create a search engine that serves that need.
I will never forget Derek Redmond and what he did in the 1992 Olympics. No, he did not win the Gold medal, nor any medal for that matter. He shouldn’t even have finished the race because of a blown hamstring, but his heart and determination prevented him from giving up and thus a legend was born. He limped across the finish line with his father by his side. It’s still an emotional experience whenever I watch the footage of that race. How can you not be moved by those images? It’s been over 15 years and I still think of his courage and heart from time to time. He might not have the hardware like so many other champions, but he’s won a spot in the history of sports and humanity. He will never be forgotten. What a true inspiration!
ControlC is a unique new service, that’s for sure. In a nutshell, what it wants to be is your virtual clipboard, allowing you to copy and share (instead of paste) via the web.
I like the concept and the way that it saves everything in one place for easy retrieval from anywhere any time you want it again. Best of all it’s free and easy to use.
The only downside to the experience is that it requires a small download and installation of a tiny utility that needs to be running at all times in your system tray.
The good news is that it is indeed so small that it doesn’t appear to impact your computer at all. The downloads page has versions for different operating systems including Linux
and Mac OS and of course windows.
As for security concerns, some will be hesitant when it comes to openly sharing what they dump to their clipboard and rightfully so. Sometimes those items can be login names and passwords or account numbers or credit card numbers, etc. Well, ControlC realized that much and provides encryption automatically for everything you copy which is a great move on their part.
Personally, I love using my JingProject account to take screenshots and immediately sharing it via the web to anyone I want but I might use ControlC more just to see what else it can do in comparison.
Note: The free basic version only allows you to access things you’ve copied in the last 5 days. You will need the premium version to access anything older than that.
Michael Chang was just elected into the tennis hall of fame (1/23/08). It’s an amazing accomplishment when you consider all that he had to overcome in his career. He was never blessed with any of the god-given talent or ability that many of his rivals possed and he was almost always the smallest/shortest player in his matches. Still, he managed to climb to the peak of his sport thanks to his incredible work ethic, unrelenting determination and awe-inspiring heart. No one hustled more than Michael Chang, period.
The first thought that pops into any tennis fan’s mind whenever we hear the name Michael Chang is the 1989 French Open champtionship that he won. It is considered one of the biggest upsets and greatest underdog performances in sports history. What he accomplished transcended sports in many ways. He taught us all that we can make our dreams come true even when all odds are against us. The lessons learned from his incredible feat can apply to business or just life in general, not just sports. Despite all logic and facts, David slew goliath. The giant wasn’t just Stefan Edberg the legendary Swede that he defeated in the finals to win his one and only grand slam title of his career, but Ivan lendl in the semi-finals. Lendl at the time was in the midst of dominating run in his career (he would reign as #1 player for a record 270 weeks!). By all accounts, Michael Chang should not have even shown up for the match. Not only did he show up, he gave us all a legendary experience that no one will ever forget. His heart on that day alone earned his spot in the tennis Hall of Fame.
Here are some video clips from that French Open championship. This one is the moment that most people remember the most. He was down two sets to none against the world’s best player whom many called the terminator. Michael was cramping up badly and on the ropes as the stoic Lendl appeared to get stronger, thanks to his incredible conditioning. Michael was only 17 years old and already outgunned and now had to deal with a severe physical handicap. All he had was his iron will, sharp intellect and tremendous heart. On a critical point in the match in the final set he decided to do something that surprised not only Lendl but everyone else in the world.
Here are highlights of the final against Edberg including the winning moment. Notice the scores as Chang was down two sets to one and a few games in the fourth before staging another comeback to cement his spot in sports lore.
In all my years working in I.T. the thing that has always made me cringe is the way that people handle their login account information and passwords. I cannot tell you how often I’ve seen login names and passwords attached to monitors on sticky notes or taped to their desk or keyboard. The more security conscious ones actually try to be more safe by storing their passwords in their drawer, which still isn’t that smart really. The next level of security is taken by those who store all of their passwords in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, which is better than the post-it method of protection, but it’s still vulnerable because their isn’t any encryption which makes opening the file very easy. This is a serious matter that should be addressed by every organization, no matter how large or small they are. One security breach and any company can be exposed to devastating results from a potential hacker.
So what’s the answer? What can be done about this all too common problem that occurs in every company in America? Well, the first thing to do is provide some basic security training for all employees. Make sure everyone understands WHY this is so important. It isn’t just for the company’s safety but for their own safety as well. The next thing to do is provide a simple method for storing all of their login account information and passwords, perferably one that also provides encryption for added security.
Obviously, expense can be a concern so this solution shouldn’t be too expensive either. Now, there are countless password managers available these days, but to me there is only one ultimate gatekeeper.
KeePass is the best password manager available today because it doesn’t require installation, it’s easy to use, and it’s free! The best part of all is that you can keep thousands of passwords in one safe place with encryption. This means that you can have instant access to all of your accounts by remembering just one password from now on. Here’s a screenshot of the main interface (Click to Enlrage):
There’s a version for different operating systems, such as linux, Mac OS and of course all flavors of Windows. However, my favorite is the Portable version which doesn’t require any installation and can be launched from a USB stick! This means you can save the keepass program and the password database that it creates and encrypts for all your passwords in one safe place and with you at all times. Here’s the Keepass download page.
Summation: Companies and especially I.T. departments need to stop sticking their collection heads in the ground when it comes to this grievous security risk and address it as soon as possible. Don’t assume that your users know better and would never be stupid enough to do such things. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I’ve seen these things done by individuals with extremely high levels of intelligence, multiple degrees and usually good common sense. It only takes a few minutes and the Keepass utility is free and easy to use.
Here are some of the best movies with a focus on the African-American experience that I’ve ever seen. It is my hope that everyone sees these classic films because they are not only wonderful stories but they also present African-Americans realistically on film which was extremely rare in the early years of cinema and took far too long to reflect reality.
The honest, sympathetic and positive portrayal of African-Americans in film and entertainment was just as important as what Jackie Robinson did for race relations with his excellence in the sports world.
One of the watershed moments was when Hattie McDaniel won the Academy Awards in 1939 for Gone with the Wind. She was also the first black woman to ever sing on national radio. However, it would take another 63 years before a black woman would win the Best Actress Oscar which Halle Berry did in 2002. The same year, Denzel Washington became only the second African-American male to win the Best Actor Oscar, Sidney Portier being the first. Ironically, the same night that Denzel won his award, Mr. Portier was honored with a lifetime achievement award.
A Raisin in the Sun (1961) is based on the award-winning play written by Lorraine Hansberry, who died tragically at a young age (34). The title and opening lines comes from A Dream Deferred”, a poem by Langston Hughes (1902-1967): “What happens to a dream deferred? / Does it dry up / like a raisin in the sun?” The story centered around a black family moving into a white neighborhood and the fight to keep their dream of owning a home despite all of the bigotry surrounding them. Sidney Portier gives a tour de force performance as do everyone else in the movie. It is a must-see experience.
Watermelon Man (1970) is a brilliant satirical comedy from Melvin Van Peebles. Godfrey Cambridge is outstanding as the bigot turned black man. It is a funny movie but also a touching bittersweet story.
Many movies have tackled the same theme, but none have ever done it as well as this gem.
Claudine (1974) is an inspiring tale about a black woman trying to raise her children on her own. Diahann Carroll is beautiful and absolutely amazing in the lead role and James Earl Jones gives a wonderful performance as the garbage man turned prince charming. Everything about the movie feels like home. The music by Gladys Knight only enhances the experience. I might be biased because my mother had to raise four sons all by herself in a new country during the same time period that this movie covers (the 1970s). It totally shatters the stereotypical perceptions that many had of African-American families who were on welfare. It also showed how ALL people want the same things in life, a roof over their heads, food on the table and someone to love.
The other thing I love about this movie is the way the James Earl Jones character loves Claudine. Despite having so many kids and knowing they’d struggle on his garbage man salary, he choose love over all rational thinking and accepts her children as his own. What an important message, especially since so many kids grow up without a stable father figure in their lives. The TV show Good Times (another favorite of mine) continued this wonderfully real depiction of a loving family in the ghetto.
The Ending (Spoiler Alert!) I still get chills watching this movie, especially this ending. I love when the little girl says there’ll only be four of them and the boy holds up a sign that says “I don’t eat much”
Here’s a sampling of the wonderful soundtrack with Glaydys Knight and the Pips and Curtis Mayfield who did the theme.
Here’s the entire movie in 9 parts.
Final Thoughts
I grew up in Newark, New Jersey so I have a strong affinity and affection for these stories. The movie “Claudine” is especially important to me because my immigrant single mom raised four boys alone in Newark and we had to endure the social stigma of being on welfare. Still, despite poverty and hardships we were never hungry and always felt loved.
My friends in my youth were mostly black, so I had no idea about racism until I grew up and moved away. Imagine the surprise when I witnessed blatant bigotry. I still have a scar on my forehead from the only time I got stitches from being blindsided by a high school senior for standing up to him. You see, he was mocking and insulting my best friend Oscar who was the star basketball player but a gentle giant of a young man. He did not dare say anything back because we were freshmen and the white seniors had all gathered around like a pack of wolves, smelling blood. I was seething and could not allow this to continue. I said outloud, “Why don’t you just leave him alone!” It became instantly silent for a moment as everyone turned to look at me in shock. I can still see the look on Oscar’s face as if to say that I should’ve just remained quiet, but I couldn’t. Fortunately, the teacher arrived but the seniors gestured that I was dead meat. Sure enough, while I was dressing up for soccer I got pushed into the locker which cut my forehead. All I remember was getting up and feeling blood on my face and seeing the tough guy senior running away with his pals. I got my stiches and from what I heard that guy got the beating of his life from his dad and he never said another word to me or any other freshmen. I might have won that battle with racism but the war continues.
If two minds are indeed better than one then just think of the possibilities of conducting an online real-time brainstorming session with several minds at the same time! There are many new web 2.0 services that make online collaborative mental mashups a breeze and best of all they’re all FREE! Here are the best ones that I’ve tried thus far:
MindMeister has received the most attention and deservedly so thanks to its slick interface and ease of use. The ability to embed the mindmap on your website/blog is very useful.
The free basic service allows up to six mindmaps with the premium and team plans allowing unlimited maps. Here is a comparison of each service.
Mind42 also allows collaborate mind mapping without anything to download or install. Everyone logged into the map editor will see changes in real-time too.
bubble.us offers less features and doesn’t look as nice as the others in this space, but there doesn’t appear to be any limits to the number of maps you can create and share online for free either.
So, if you aren’t all that into bells and whistles and a glitzy appearance, then bubble.us might be the one for you, especially for quick and dirty mind dump sessions.
Final Thoughts: You can’t go wrong with any of these services. Mindmeister is the market leader though.
I have always loved these words. They are simple and yet so powerful. They become extra special when you consider the source, the man who wrote and spoke them.
Here it is….
“‘Tis true my form is something odd,
but blaming me is blaming god.
Could I create myself anew,
I would not fail in pleasing you.
Was I so tall, could reach the pole,
or grasp the ocean with a span;
I would be measured by the soul.
The mind’s the standard of the man.”
The Elephant Man’s life story has always fascinated me. It’s sad that John Merrick has become forever linked to a punchline involving Michael Jackson because his life deserves much more than that.
Instead, we should remember him by these beautiful words and the lessons they teach us all. Beauty is indeed only skin deep. We are not this mortal coil but the mind and soul. How unfortonate he was to be born in the body he had, but what a legacy he left behind.
I’ve always loved The Elephant Man movie (1980). John Hurt was amazing in the lead role. David Lynch did his greatest work as director. Anthony Hopkins was also at his best. The scene where he first lays eyes on the Elephant Man is spellbinding and moving.
Here is the heart-wrenching train station scene in which Merrick shouts in defiance, “I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man!” One of the most touching scenes ever.
The lessons learned from The Elephant Man are many. Mostly, it’s a constant reminder to never take our blessings for granted and that underneath any sort of “abnormal” appearance we must never forget that there’s a fellow human being living and breathing with feelings and emotions. JosephMerrick reminds us all that we are all human beings no matter what we look look on the outside.
Why are some blogs popular and others not? Obviously, the best thing any blogger can do to make their blog a success is to write excellent posts consistently. However, even the best written blogs will languish in obscurity if the blogger does not perform some promotional and marketing tasks to spread the word about their words. Yes, it goes against everything a writer believes in, but it is a necessary evil. If you want to share your craft, then you must learn the craft of promotion and marketing.
Blog/RSS Directories Here’s some good news. I’ve done a lot of the dirty work for you and compiled a list of the best blog and RSS directories available today, including the brand new BLOGGED. I’ve published Paisano’s Blog Directories List online and made it public for all of you to use. It’s a work in progress so look for it to change often. Some will come and some new ones will go. Feel free to send me any that I’ve missed as I am sure there are many. As a matter of fact, there appears to be thousands of blog/rss directories in existence, but most of them are small obscure indexes that aren’t worth the time or effort to submit your blog to. I’ve chosen about 44 blog/rss services that all seemed to be pretty active and offer easy methods of submitting blog urls or rss feeds to.
Criteria
I avoided those services that required a referential link on your site in order to be listed on their site. While I think it’s fair to ask bloggers to add a badge or widget, it’s an entirely different matter to require it. Also, I selected only free services. There are many services that actually charge bloggers a fee (one-time, monthly or annually) to be listed. Again, it might be a personal choice, but I don’t feel anyone should have to pay to be listed on any service. Of course, that is your decision to make.
Mass Submissions There are many paid services that claim that they can submit your URL/RSS feed to hundreds or even thousands of directories for you but I stayed away from such solutions. Who knows, they might actually work and be worth whatever the cost. I just don’t know enough about these types of services to include them at this time.
Summation: The quickest and least expensive way to start spreading the news about your prized blog is to submit it to some blog/RSS directories. Here’s the link to Paisano’s Blog Directories List again. Most of the sites included were found in this excellent resource: TopRankBlog’s BlogRSS Directories. Note: Many of their listings were no longer working or required fees or a commitment to include a referential link back and many just didn’t seem worth the effort. Finally, this is just ONE method to promote your blog. There many other things you can do. By far the best suggestions for promoting your blog come from Darren Rowse, Mr. ProBlogger himself: ProBlogger’s How to market your blog. He delves deep into the fine art of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and many other mysterious practices that appear to work wonders for countless bloggers.
