Winter Workshop in Montreal

I taught about spiritual life at a Youth Winter Workshop in Montreal on December 29

My son Frone, home for the holidays, trained up from New York to take part.

Here are some pictures from the workshop.  I find them lovely, but there are quite a bunch of them.

If you get tired of the pace of the slide show, you can click on the show to be taken to the album page to see what's there.

Tron Performance

New Knights of Malta: Committed to doing good | Washington Times Communities

New Knights of Malta: Committed to doing good | Washington Times Communities

communities.washingtontimes.com

Knights live by the motto, Pro Fide, Pro Ultimate Hominum, “For the Faith and in the Service of Humanity.”

Time's running out - A couple I've enjoyed

My daughter found another one

And ...

And now. Post end of world review

Color Photography

Courtesy of Hyoja Hongmoon

American ignorance of Islam results in confused Syria policy | Washington Times Communities

American ignorance of Islam results in confused Syria policy | by Frank Kaufmann | Washington Times Communities

Devotion

Courtesy of The Telegraph

Ganesh Festival at Juhu Chowpatty beach in Mumbai

Click the image to go across to the delightful photo essay in The Telegraph

Landfill Harmonic

Windows in Geneva

Pansies

Condoleezza Rice delivers keynote to World Congress of Religions

Condoleezza Rice delivers keynote to World Congress of Religions 

Martin Luther King III opens DC Interfaith Meeting | Washington Times Communities

Martin Luther King III opens DC Interfaith Meeting | Washington Times Communities:

Island(s)

courtesy of Chris Bihary

Encounter

Courtesy of Kathleen Peace Rivers

Pictures of unusual polling sites

Watch this remarkable slide show of most unusual polling places.

(It's a link off the "control room")

What is the best way to increase voter participation rates in the United States?

Quora attempts to generate on line expertise. Questions, answers, intelligent reflection.  A touch "wikipedia-like" in its trust of contributors.

 It might be thought of as an effort to provide "crowd research resources," in ways similar to the role of "crowd journalism" in providing news.  

This particular page is a collection of great ideas and reflections on the improving voter participation.

A very good read with many good ideas.

What is the best way to increase voter participation rates in the United States? - Quora:

Hurricane Sandy strikes East Coast with a vengeance - NY Daily News

Hurricane Sandy strikes East Coast with a vengeance - NY Daily News:

139 incredible images

Hurricane Sandy and Her Impact on the US Vote for President

Hurricane Sandy, Peggy Noonan, and BFFs President Obama and Chris Christie | Washington Times Communities:

New York, October 29, 2012

Click here to see a handful of NY Scenes from Sandy 

http://bit.ly/SuGCHT

Autumn - from photo to painting

Courtesy of Jason Parsons 
from photo to painting
J.P. Photo

Autumn

Why is Autumn the season which most arouses reminiscence

So often it returns to us our best and most wholesome memories

Foreign policy debate preview - The Washington Post

Here is something both fascinating and encourging.

Anyone living in the US (maybe elsewhere in the world) know that what passes as "news coverage," and especially the choise of "news-deliverers" has degenerated into the sump of telegenic dominance, and when it comes to cable news, a nauseating preponderance of "let's you and he fight."

It is SO difficult to find a place to see issues fleshed out in genuinely informative and educational ways, so that  viewers can walk away more knowledgeable as a result of time spent.

For a period of time, the "internet" was seen as a bothersome and mettlesome interloper, interfering with "the big boys."  But in time, the rough and ready world of reportage continued its slide across to "the internet."

What we see below is, rather than a combative and resistant approach to the nimble "real presence" of "internet" inquiry, is a "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" response from The Washingto Post.  A video that is very low tech, yet PERFECTLY fine to suit the needs of a news consumer looking to increase their knoweldge and readiness to watch tonight's very important debate on foreign policy intelligently.

Foreign policy debate preview - The Washington Post:

Luxembourg celebrates royal wedding of Prince Guillaume and Stephanie de Lannoy

Stephanie plans to renounce her Belgian citizenship in order to - one day - become Luxembourg's grand duchess. The tiny country wedged between France, Belgium and Germany is an important financial center and continues to prosper despite Europe's economic trouble.

She will eventually become the nation’s grand duchess and reportedly speaks three languages, plays violin and piano, loves to cook and is an avid reader. The Crown Prince is a lieutenant colonel in the Luxembourg army.

Luxembourg began as a Roman fortress. It has, at one time or another, fallen under the control of Spain, France and Austria. In 1839, it gained its independence from the Netherlands, but lost more than half its territory to Belgium. Germany overran Luxembourg twice in the 20th century despite its protests of neutrality.

The newlyweds seem to be happy with each other.

After watching the ceremony on a big-screen on a public square near the cathedral, royal-gazing fans sensed the joy and historical importance.

"It was a really big moment - a really beautiful moment," said Claudine Als, . "It is a historic day for Luxembourg, the country shines throughout the world."

Strong challenge to interfaith

Something is deeply broken, badly broken,

IRFWP

www.irfwp.org

A letter signed by 15 leaders of Christian churches that calls for Congress to reconsider giving aid to Israel because of accusations of human rights violations has outraged Jewish leaders and threatened to derail longstanding efforts to build interfaith relations.

Rain

By Stanislav Sidorov

From here to there

From here to there

Innocence of Muslims and Rocks in the East China Sea

Innocence of Muslims and Rocks in the East China Sea
Frank Kaufmann
September 28, 2012

Grapes

Courtesy of Mehvish Khalid 

Oasis

Courtesy of Dora Beatriz Gonzales

9 Beliefs of Remarkably Successful People

Here is a good article published by Jeff Haden in Inc.

People

The most successful people in business approach their work differently than most. See how they think--and why it works.

Getty

 

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I'm fortunate enough to know a number of remarkably successful people. Regardless of industry or profession, they all share the same perspectives and beliefs.

And they act on those beliefs:

1. Time doesn't fill me. I fill time.

Deadlines and time frames establish parameters, but typically not in a good way. The average person who is given two weeks to complete a task will instinctively adjust his effort so it actually takes two weeks.

Forget deadlines, at least as a way to manage your activity. Tasks should only take as long as they need to take. Do everything as quickly and effectively as you can. Then use your "free" time to get other things done just as quickly and effectively.

Average people allow time to impose its will on them; remarkable people impose their will on their time.

2. The people around me are the people I chose.

Some of your employees drive you nuts. Some of your customers are obnoxious. Some of your friends are selfish, all-about-me jerks.

You chose them. If the people around you make you unhappy it's not their fault. It's your fault. They're in your professional or personal life because you drew them to you--and you let them remain.

Think about the type of people you want to work with. Think about the types of customers you would enjoy serving. Think about the friends you want to have.

Then change what you do so you can start attracting those people. Hardworking people want to work with hardworking people. Kind people like to associate with kind people. Remarkable employees want to work forremarkable bosses.

Successful people are naturally drawn to successful people.

3. I have never paid my dues.

Dues aren't paid, past tense. Dues get paid, each and every day. The only real measure of your value is the tangible contribution you make on a daily basis.

No matter what you've done or accomplished in the past, you're never too good to roll up your sleeves, get dirty, and do the grunt work.  No job is ever too menial, no task ever too unskilled or boring.

Remarkably successful people never feel entitled--except to the fruits of their labor.

4. Experience is irrelevant. Accomplishments are everything.

You have "10 years in the Web design business." Whoopee. I don't care how long you've been doing what you do. Years of service indicate nothing; you could be the worst 10-year programmer in the world.

I care about what you've done: how many sites you've created, how many back-end systems you've installed, how many customer-specific applications you've developed (and what kind)... all that matters is what you've done.

Successful people don't need to describe themselves using hyperbolic adjectives like passionate, innovative, driven, etc. They can just describe, hopefully in a humble way, what they've done.

5. Failure is something I accomplish; it doesn't just happen to me.

Ask people why they have been successful. Their answers will be filled with personal pronouns: I, me, and the sometimes too occasional we.

Ask them why they failed. Most will revert to childhood and instinctively distance themselves, like the kid who says, "My toy got broken..." instead of, "I broke my toy."

They'll say the economy tanked. They'll say the market wasn't ready. They'll say their suppliers couldn't keep up.

They'll say it was someone or something else.

And by distancing themselves, they don't learn from their failures.

Occasionally something completely outside your control will cause you to fail. Most of the time, though, it's you. And that's okay. Every successful person has failed. Numerous times. Most of them have failed a lot more often than you. That's why they're successful now.

Embrace every failure: Own it, learn from it, and take full responsibility for making sure that next time, things will turn out differently.

6. Volunteers always win.

Whenever you raise your hand you wind up being asked to do more.

That's great. Doing more is an opportunity: to learn, to impress, to gain skills, to build new relationships--to do something more than you would otherwise been able to do.

Success is based on action. The more you volunteer, the more you get to act. Successful people step forward to create opportunities.

Remarkably successful people sprint forward.

7. As long as I'm paid well, it's all good.

Specialization is good. Focus is good. Finding a niche is good.

Generating revenue is great.

Anything a customer will pay you a reasonable price to do--as long as it isn't unethical, immoral, or illegal--is something you should do. Your customers want you to deliver outside your normal territory? If they'll pay you for it, fine. They want you to add services you don't normally include? If they'll pay you for it, fine. The customer wants you to perform some relatively manual labor and you're a high-tech shop? Shut up, roll 'em up, do the work, and get paid.

Only do what you want to do and you might build an okay business. Be willing to do what customers want you to do and you can build a successful business.

Be willing to do even more and you can build a remarkable business.

And speaking of customers...

8. People who pay me always have the right to tell me what to do.

Get over your cocky, pretentious, I-must-be-free-to-express-my-individuality self. Be that way on your own time.

The people who pay you, whether customers or employers, earn the right to dictate what you do and how you do it--sometimes down to the last detail.

Instead of complaining, work to align what you like to do with what the people who pay you want you to do.

Then you turn issues like control and micro-management into non-issues.

9. The extra mile is a vast, unpopulated wasteland.

Everyone says they go the extra mile. Almost no one actually does. Most people who go there think, "Wait... no one else is here... why am I doing this?" and leave, never to return.

That's why the extra mile is such a lonely place.

That's also why the extra mile is a place filled with opportunities.

Be early. Stay late. Make the extra phone call. Send the extra email. Do the extra research. Help a customer unload or unpack a shipment. Don't wait to be asked; offer. Don't just tell employees what to do--show them what to do and work beside them.

Every time you do something, think of one extra thing you can do--especially if other people aren't doing that one thing. Sure, it's hard.

But that's what will make you different.

And over time, that's what will make you incredibly successful.

Read more:

Be Graceful Under Pressure: 7 Tips

Silence: The Surprising Way to Achieve a Goal

How the Rich Got Rich

Jeff Haden learned much of what he knows about business and technology as he worked his way up in the manufacturing industry. Everything else he picks up from ghostwriting books for some of the smartest leaders he knows in business. @jeff_haden

 

Not a new problem

Courtesy of Jim Owens

Independence Day article by Frank Kaufmann

Independence Day article by Frank Kaufmann

Lay Down My Sword and Shield

It's the setting up and taking down that's the real wonder

A Stroll Through Sunnyside, Queens, June 2012

Sadly, I only had my lousy phone camera on me that day.

Dublin Co-Existence, Islamic Finance and Investment Conference 2012

I just presented a paper at the Dublin Co-Existence, Islamic Finance and Investment Conference 2012, of the Irish Business Executives Forum, in County Meath, Ireland.

A draft of my presentation is posted here:

Cargo

Courtesy of Vive la Vie

Leap: New Personal Technology

Huffpo reports:

San Francisco-startup Leap Motion has unveiled its eagerly-anticipated first product offering: It's called the Leap, it's the size of a thumb drive, and for just $70, it will enable you to completely control your computer by waving your hands around like Tom Cruise in Minority Report.

('ey, don't let the Cruise thing distract you.  You can wave your hands around like anybody you want)

The size of a thumb drive.  Works on any computer including laptops and netbooks.

Watch it in action!