Adrian’s Microblog

Can 10,000 hours of practice really make you an expert at anything?… The psychologists reanalyzed data from six previous studies of chess competitions (1,083 subjects in total) and eight studies of musicians (628 total) for correlations between practice and success, and found huge disparities in how much chess grandmasters and elite musicians had practiced. One chess player, for example, had taken 26 years to reach a level that another reached in a mere two years. Clearly, there’s more at work than just the sheer volume of hours practiced. — New study confirms the idea that the “10,000-hours rule” is a myth. (via explore-blog)

Suspected this was the case. Good points in here resonate true.

The Three Temptations and the Three Antidotes, by Timothy Cardinal Dolan.

Good stuff.

And if you’re interested to track his 2m videos the rest of Lent, check out his website.

A great exposition of how awesome people are using the iPad to further their activity: whether it be mountaineering, marine biology, Bollywood, stage performance, learning, medicine, filmmaking, or sports.

Click the pic above for the neat stories (and the apps they use). :)

(via iPad Air)

Interesting insight into illustrator/storyteller Craig Frazier’s creative process. Especially like the reference to the sketching at the beginning as he works out the idea he wants to pursue.

(via thinkprocessnotproduct)

Why Writers Are the Worst Procrastinators - Megan McArdle - The Atlantic

photojojo:

Independent filmmaker Rick Mereki traveled over 38,000 miles to 11 different countries to create this simple one minute video.  Sound like overkill? Watch and be amazed.  One Minute Video Compiled From 38,000 Mile Trip via Mobiledia

austinkleon:

Hey friends! My book Show Your Work! is making its way out in the world early — it’s on sale at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Powell’s, and in several local bookstores.

To get an idea of what the book is about, check out this post: “10 Ways To Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered.”

It’s a beautiful book and it lists for only $12, but you can get it way cheaper if you shop around. Get your copy here.

Oh, and if you would, consider reblogging this post and helping me spread the word! I’d really appreciate it.

This is good stuff - thanks Austin!

“Olympic Skier Julia Mancuso’s Workout”

Couple of notes:

–Neat shoes; never seen ones like that before. Apparently Nike Studio Wraps.

–Keep seeing references to interval training and fast-twitch muscle training in various places, including this article.

–Some food info here too, including my beloved brown rice. :)

(via WSJ)

As history demonstrates, democracy without values easily turns into open or thinly disguised totalitarianism. — JP2, Centesimus Annus, 46

Gollum Juice

John Butler plays OCEAN, and releases as a free download to his fans.

This is twelve minutes of really talented guitar playing – I promise you’ll enjoy. :)

(via hilker, via sds)

Aquaponics – combining aquaculture (raising aquatic animals) with hydroponics (growing plants without soil). This idea has been attractive to me for a while – I think I might do this. :)

(via AquaFarm by Back to the Roots)

Moss Glen Falls, VT

by yours truly

Driving in a Winter Wonderland

-yours truly

Randolph, with C. :)

Heaven touches earth - Happy are we at his coming!

Forget setting goals and commit to a process

I really enjoy snow: it’s a reminder that the right conditions can produce something magical. It’s like a little bit of the invisible becomes visible when it snows, and blankets everything equally with its covering.

Maybe the season of Christmas is like that too: given the right conditions in our heart, something special will appear. It’s not always easy cultivating those right conditions, and there’s a lot of pressures, both internal and external, pulling us this way and that. A quiet preparation seems far out of grasp, and then the moment seems to pass.

That first Christmas was like that too: the hustle and bustle of travel and census. Late night arrival, problems finding a hotel room, baby on the way. Yet somehow, in the midst of it all, light broke through, because of openness to the moment. An openness that existed in the midst of everything else, that didn’t deny it, but transformed it. Like a snowfall, the invisible became visible.

Many blessings during this season, and all throughout the year. Let’s both plan to look up for that snow falling from the heavens, and let it blanket us in the moment and place we find ourselves. Merry Christmas!

I’m telling ya, I’m am continually impressed with the folks over at Evernote. I think I may be upgrading to the Premium level soon, and the presentations feature above is just a great example of how they innovate simply but effectively. I can really see how this can be helpful to moving things along without a whole bunch of hoopla. Thanks Evernote team for your vision! (via EvernoteVideos)

“Snorbet”, courtesy of B: snow + milk/cream + sugar + vanilla + chocolate chips. Tasty. :)