It occurred to me that muscling that heavy pantry upstairs was a bit like playing chess. I had to think through most of the moves ahead so that each part of the process would bring success to the next. I played chess as a kid and now, just like a kid, I sometimes give up thinking too many moves ahead and leave a bit of the game up to luck.

So, there I was, stuck half way up the stairs, realizing that I might have to lose most of the ground I'd made. I hadn't taken the carpet at the top into consideration. But I was lucky. I rested where I was and gave it a bit of thought and tried an old move in a new way. Sure enough, a bit of luck brought success.

This elephant is one of many wonderful creatures, half steel, half wood, that are a part of the "Machines de l'Ile," an artistic project situated in the former warehouses of the Nantes shipyard, in Nantes France. I find something very wonderful about it. Perhaps one day ...

link

Yesterday I woke up with a busy, critical mind. But through the day, after being involved in a lot of physical exertion, all that mental activity simmered down.

I have been a napper for 25 or 30 years or more - when I can. I find it a very civilized practice to close my eyes for a few minutes or more each day - long enough to feel revitalized but short enough not to trash my day. Turns out it's good for us after all. The BBC reports about a study done at Berkeley in the US that confirms my personal experience. They say, "A nap during the day improves the brain's ability to absorb new information." Yay.

BBC report

I read a passage in a book yesterday about how pain that doesn't seem to have a solution can often be seen as a dragon that one is fighting. As soon as I read this, I remembered that my own symbol of the angelic presence that accompanies me is a dragon - a large, don't-mess-with-me dragon named Frederick. I haven't thought about Fred for a while. He's not an enemy to be fought, but an ally who watches my back. I wonder if the pain that I have been unable to resolve could be seen like I see Fred - an ally - a good thing? I wonder if I can feel the pain with the same warmth that I feel when I sense Fred at my back? I've never felt comfortable with the "enemy" mind-set when it comes to health. In my experience, the times when we move into love and acceptance instead of aversion and avoidance are the times we are most likely to find the release we'd hoped for. So, here's to Fred.

In an article I wrote for a newsletter a year or two ago, I mentioned the concentric circles I often see in the grass when my sight is easy and relaxed. I read an article the other day that may go some way to explaining the phenomenon. In her article, Uncoiling the spiral: Maths and hallucinations, Marianne Freiberger explains the strange convergence of mathematics, hallucinations and neurocognitive science. It even includes material about how Alan Turing, the great computer pioneer, hypothesized about the role of mathematics in the stripes on zebras. I find it all fascinating.

link to article

What if we didn't have nationalities and could just celebrate the amazing stuff we see at the Olympics? What it is wasn't about beating another country but celebrating greatness? I just saw Simon Ammann, a Swiss ski jumper do something incredible and I was so happy for him. I don't even know if anyone from my country is completing. I just loved what he did.

This ink calendar was designed by Spaniard Oscar Diaz. It uses the capillary action of ink spreading across paper to display the date.

link via dezeen

The Original Human TETRIS Performance by Guillaume Reymond

YouTube Link

Interesting design links:

inspire me now
de zeen - design magazine
dustbowl
Likecool