allow us to "gain access to the laboratory of human experience". read on...

Dr. Tae has some refreshing ideas about what the current learning environment is like and how we can improve upon it. I have seen (been victimized by) the same things he is critical of. His thoughts on a decentralized teaching are encouraging.

...Fixing our two-party system.

The US response to covid19... when our two-party system really failed us.

...is more natural then we thought.

Ran into a work colleague at the grocery store yesterday morning.

He asked how work was going. I said "good... can't complain". He was surprised by my response, knowing all the difficult changes going on in my department. This led to the briefest metaphysical chinwags I've had in the deli section, about stressful change.

I admitted to having early resentment and stress dealing with changes at work, but decided to let go of that perspective, 'cause it was not helping. He said that's important, because that stress has a ripple effect on people around us too.

Diving deeper into the subject, he said people too often at work say "thank God it's Friday", and that they might be conveying being stuck in a situation beyond their control and can't wait for it to end.

This subtle act of not living fully in the moment, but continually waiting for a better moment to really enjoy ourselves, is probably not the healthiest perspective. Perhaps this is a natural reaction to change that is beyond our perceived control.

If friction and stress develop from the perception of not being in control due to change events, then maybe, by letting go of that perspective, and going with the change, enabling the possibility of unrealized opportunities, we do gain the ultimate control over ourselves, our emotions and our impact on others around us.

Hmm... maybe so, now where is the coffee?

Elijah Miles with a transendent message about making the world a better place

... constraints and creativity!

Myself and three other compatriots teamed up for a local software developer contest, 59 Days of Code and it really put our creativity to the test.

This was our chance to see about our app's potential as a Menu-as-a-Service platform for independent restaurant owners (and a cool mobile app for online food ordering). We did not win, but a chance to network and demo our app was our pay-off and reward.

The best advice I got for developing an idea is to get some early feedback. We got that with this contest. We were forced to practice the elevator pitch (in preparation for judging). We had to distill our "good" idea down to simple points. This exercise alone will challenge any preconceptions you have about your product/service and self.

The opportunity to talk with sponsors, fellow contestants and attendees resulted in a "tradeshow effect": people willing to share, openly and honestly about their ideas/projects/experiences. We given ideas on new ways to apply your app; every one had a "have you thought about..." comment for us. We got out of our comfort zones a learned about our team, our project and our market.

I learned that in showing the app to potential clients you either are in the sweet spot or you realize it's time to keep refining the product/service/elevator pitch.

The final day of the contest (a cumulation of 59 days frought with development and designing) was a chance to stop look around and see how far we've come. A chance to ask others about their experiences. A chance to share and learn, with objectivity and freshness.

If you are working on a project - get some early feedback. I'd recommend a local contest to take advantage of the "tradeshow effect" and constraints of working with what you got. Hammer on that elevator pitch and get it down cold.

Sisters and brothers in it together; sweating the details and making miracles happen all constrained by 59 days. As Irma L. Olguin Jr. (our contest founder and leader) said to the contestants "yeah... you're all bunch of badasses"... man, geeks thrive on that stuff. Hats off to Irma and all the 59 Days folks, thanks for the chance to learn.