When I work towards generating possibility in others, what I get back is the satisfaction of seeing those around me shine. When they are lite up, I’m lite up. Only then can I produce my best work.

When creating a product or service, it is successfully achieved only if everyone feels they are contributing in a positive manner. It doesn’t matter if I’m creating a dinner with family or an international music service. I want to find how to get the best of each person involved. It takes compassion, insight and the ability to listen. This video reminds me of that way of engaging with others.

Benjamin Zander is a person whom I know of only through an audio podcast. I heard his words, his passion, his humor- and now I want to meet him! I was unable to ponder his words without considering my own contribution. Mr. Zander appears to know how to lead those around him to be active participants in their lives.

This talk was recorded live at the TED conference in Feb. of 2008.

Video not working? Here is the direct link.

We just found out yesterday that my wife has cancer. What a bizarre thing to type.

Cancer…

The word instills fear, confusion and images of physical exhaustion during extended treatment. An outside agent that has entered our bodies to reek havoc. A parasite to which we play host. For most of us who lead quiet lives not threatened with apocalyptic events (war, famine, plague, genocide, etc.) only a few threats remain constant and unexpected. Cancer is one of those.

I feel almost numb. I don’t have an immediate reaction of sadness or anger or fear. I simply don’t comprehend the “meaning” of this event yet. I can’t help but wonder if I’m being callous or simple. I know in my heart that this isn’t the case. I don’t feel a need to get dramatic and fall on the floor weeping. I’m not the type of person to pull my hair and moan, “oh the injustice!” I generally am a person of action. I gravitate towards the British “stiff upper lip” outlook- find out the facts; make an informed decision; and support those in need through out it all.

In the meantime, I will continue to tell her that I support her. I will show my love. I will demonstrate that she is not alone. When cancer strikes, it is not solely the disease of the stricken. It is an event that mobilizes the community which surrounds it. Cancer will become a word of love and support, not isolation and mortality.

The Police took center stage on Saturday after 20-some years of being ex-super star musicians. I suspect the lure of $1M per show was too tempting. I don’t think Sting needed the money, but Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland may have been in another boat entirely. The two of them seem to have kept a lower profile in the music world.

I seem to recall the Copeland had some success in the music production end of the business, but that momentary attempts with other bands didn’t gain much traction. I bought two Animal Logic albums, but they haven’t stood the test of time and I recently sold them for $2/disc to a music store.

Here is a video of the night taken from a small digital camera that also captured video. The quality gives a sense of what was experienced.

Yup, I’m taking the plunge! I’m buying a Toyota Prius!

It’s part of the 40th celebration and an effort to walk the talk. We live in a small enough environment that the stop-start advantages of a hybrid really make sense. If I was primarily logging freeway miles, a diesel would have been my choice, particularly the VW Jetta TDI. The lines on those keep getting better.

So here’s the pricing that I have in front of me. First, you should know that I’ve tried haggling. There doesn’t seem to be any maneuvering room as these just sail off the lots. It’s hard for me to accept that as I always am looking to strike a deal based on invoice, not MSRP.

If someone knows better about this, then by all means, contact me immediately. The car is to be delivered on Friday, but I’ve only put down a deposit of $500.

Pricing:

25,639 – Standard model with Package 4 (HID headlights, 6-CD changer, premium sound, Bluetooth, MP3/iPod connection, homelink)
24, 895 – discount
+ 1,550 – leather and heat seats
+ 2,184.81 – taxes
$ 28,828.81 total

Again, if you know how to get a better price, contact me or this is what I’ll end up leasing for. BTW- I’m leasing as the technology will be changing so much in the next few years, that I don’t want to own. In about 5 years, I’ll buy a used hybrid.

What does it mean to me and how should I communicate it to my children? This is where I must always return…

I would say that Memorial Day is a time to remember fallen soldiers. Young men and women who died in the ultimate political expression- war. War is, after all, a political tool wielded by those in power who have determined that words and actions can no longer achieve the desired results. Thus we go to war to force our perspective of “right”, our interpretation of “moral” and our world view over the other group. War is about domination and controlling the message.

But what do I tell my children?

I will take them to a cemetery and show them that when young people die, the world loses potential. That the liberties and ideals that we wrap around wars, the words of democracy and freedom- those things were never enjoyed by those that have perished.

They have lost the ability to grow old. They will not have the chance to feel what it is like to raise a child through the various stages of maturity. They will not be able to pick flowers and give them to a beautiful woman. They will not participate in bettering a community. Their potential will never been seen.

Most likely, the fallen soldiers of past wars, died in fear. They died holding a gun, sweating, panting, aching and paranoid of what lay around the next corner. They died knowing the instant before they were hit, that their life was about to end. In most cases, death in a war is not glorious. It is frightening. It is painful. It is pointless…

I don’t want to hear President Bush utter one word about the glorious sacrifice of our nations youth to combat terrorism. Coming from a man who did everything possible to skip out on his duty, the words are hollow. His words are meaningless platitudes. He plays a role and the act of this actor is not worth observing.

I would rather go have a picnic in a cemetery and observe the loss of potential.

I created a HUGE video that is probably downloading right now… There’s no reason why it was put to the Stones… only thing available at that moment.

cheers/ce

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-57490490406464964]

In ‘03 I launched a ski jump at the Canyons in Park City. After a 35′ high, fly-away experience, I landed. My left femur kept going and blasted through the tibial plateau. Shock set in as little pieces of bone began to float around the knee capsule.

After 3.5 hours of surgery performed by Dr. Horowitz at the University of Utah hospital and a week of initial recovery (and five catheters being removed and replaced), I left in a wheel chair to catch a plane back to L.A.. I wouldn’t be allowed to walk for another three months.

Rehab in 2003 involved learning how to fire my muscles again so I could learn to walk again. Complete atrophy in one part of your body results  in accompanying amnesia on how to do fundamental actions- like walk. Descending a set of stairs was the scariest event of my life.

In 2004, the hardware was removed- 11 screws and two plates. Well… actually only 10 screws, because Dr. Pevny from Orthopedics Associates overlooked one of the screws. What was the nurse doing during surgery?

“Eleven screws on the x-ray, and we only have a baggy with ten … hmm … that’s weird. Oh well, it’s lunch time!”
Fast forward to 2007. The scar tissue has built up so much that the patella (knee cap) isn’t moving much and pain is experienced during heavy exertion. Dr. Pevny’s response = “early arthritis.” Dr. Sterett from the Steadman-Hawkins clinic = create space in there by removing the scar tissue.

April 4, I go in for surgery. Now its 2 hours of physical therapy each day in an attempt to recover properly from this. I’m hopeful that I’ll heal properly and be back playing hockey this summer.

Look for a future post where I share a video clip of the surgery!! How fun is that?!

The band’s name eludes me, but the tune is stuck in my head! Moving on is hard to do, but staying put could be a slow death.

Things have reached a simmering boil and a sudden watershed conversation may have relieved the tension over what comes next. For us, we usually come to an explosive atmosphere when great change is in the air. It tends not to be a smooth transition as there is much emotion involved. However, once we get it all out, then we can move forward with determination.

Four years. That is the time that has swiftly passed since our Colorado chapter begin. In that time, we have accomplished much on one hand and very little on the other. If we lay out the amount of creative work that has been produced, the knowledge gained, the real estate exchanged and the healthy environment our children have enjoyed- we have been busy. However, the price has been feeling shut-off from a purposeful path that feels “large.” A disconnect from the action. A loss of friendships that we hold dear built up over eight years in LA.

Whether this line of reasoning is ego or not is hard to say.

That said, I think a time limit will be soon posted on our future in the Roaring Fork valley. I sense a change in the air…