Expert Colored Glasses | ORGANIZING CREATIVITY

?And then I?ll be staying on a tiny island and I don?t know if I?ll be living in a hut, or what.?
?Very exciting ? as a luggage problem!?
Joe Banks and the Luggage Salesman in ?Joe Versus the Volcano? (1990)

One of the great qualities of humans is that we can burn for something. From mainstream to the most obscure topics, we can become interested in anything. We spend time with these topics, we learn about them, and after a while, out interests shape us.

It influences what we notice, what we talk about, and how we see the world.

A photographer looks at the pictures around him differently, a designer notices, e.g.,? kerning problems, someone who is interested in organization spots ways to improve the processes around him.

And in itself, this is what interest and expertise is for ? we have a cult of the amateur, but when things are really important, we need experts. No matter whether professional or enthusiast, but we need someone with knowledge and skills.

However, this can become a problem when people drag conversations to the area they have expertise. The original issue is not discussed in whole, but reduced to this area of expertise or left altogether.

Instead of talking about the architecture of a room it it all about the photos, instead of talking about the text, it is all about the typesetting, instead of questioning whether to do something in the first place it is all about improving the processes.

And I think this can impede the overall goal. First, it can make us sound like a broken record, like we always go on about the same subject and make everything about it (we might see the relation to our special area of expertise, other might find it unimportant and far-fetched). Second and even more damaging, it elevates part of the whole ? and this part is influenced by our prior interests/expertise, not by the importance of the part. It might be irrelevant in the greater whole.

For me, this issue came up when I was browsing opinion blogs ? where people share their view on the world and related everything around them to issues they feel strongly about. But I also notice it in my blog, although I am a bit lucky that the topic I am writing about is very broad (I hope). After all, I?m not interested in writing a blog with a constrained focus on specific work methods. I discuss these too (see for example the postings about different tools or scientific work or writing in general). But I also like to look at the whole picture ? and step back from time to time and do some far-off or even off-topic postings.

But the risk is always there.

As good as it is to have interest/expertise in a subject and use this expertise to the fullest, it is also important to be cognizant of one?s expertise and see when it takes us for a ride. If our environment does not stop us, we should notice when we have to stop, take a step back, and look at the ways our interests/expertise influences us ? and what it makes us and others miss.

Source: http://www.organizingcreativity.com/2013/03/expert-colored-glasses/

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Cyprus turns to Brussels for help on bailouot

BRUSSELS (AP) ? After failing for a week to find a solution at home to a crisis that could force it into bankruptcy, Cypriot politicians were turning to the European Union on Sunday in a last-ditch effort to help the island nation forge a viable plan to secure an international bailout.

Politicians are under pressure to come up with a solution quickly, with the European Central Bank threatening to stop providing emergency funding to Cyprus' banks after Monday if there is no agreement on a way to raise 5.8 billion euros ($7.5 billion) needed to get a 10 billion euro rescue loan package from the other European countries that use the single currency and the International Monetary Fund.

If Cyprus fails to secure a bailout, some of its ailing banks could collapse within days and rapidly drag down the government and possibly force it out of the euro, a huge threat to the stability of the currency used by more than 300 million people in 17 EU nations.

Despite the danger, Europe's biggest economy maintained a hard line. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said that "if possible we want to avoid seeing Cyprus sliding into insolvency."

But, he added in an interview with the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag published Sunday that Cyprus cannot expect compromise over the threat of bankruptcy and possibility it could leave the eurozone.

"I'm also known for not giving in to blackmail, by nobody and nothing," he said.

The original plan, agreed to in marathon negotiations earlier last week, called for a one-time levy on all bank depositors in Cypriot banks. But the proposal ignited fierce anger among Cypriots and failed to garner a single vote in the Cypriot Parliament.

The idea of some sort of deposit grab has returned to the fore after Cyprus' attempt to gain Russian financial aid failed this week, with deposits above 100,000 euros at the country's troubled largest lender, Bank of Cyprus, possibly facing a levy of up to 25 percent.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and his finance minister traveled to Brussels for meetings with European Union leaders.

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy was chairing a meeting, but a spokesman insisted his role was not to force a deal but to encourage discussion.

To avoid bankruptcy or the collapse of its banking system, Cyprus needs significantly more than the 10 billion euros the international creditors are willing to lend it. They fear that more loans would balloon the country's debt level to an unsustainable level. For that reason, the country must somehow raise the additional money.

Cyprus has "to fulfill a difficult mission to save the Cypriot economy and avert a disorderly default threatening the economy if there is no final deal for the loan agreement," government spokesman Christos Sylianides said in a written statement Sunday.

Officials fear that a Cypriot bankruptcy, which would likely force the country to become the first eurozone member to leave the currency bloc, would roil markets and result in uncertainty that could engulf other weaker eurozone nations, leader to capital flight and higher government borrowing costs.

Anastasiades was also set to meet IMF Chief Christine Lagarde and ECB President Mario Draghi.

If the Cypriots agree to a plan on Sunday, the IMF, European Central Bank and European Commission will then determine whether it meets the requirement that Cyprus' debt, including any new bailout loan, be sustainable over the long run.

Any new proposal would then have to be approved Sunday evening by the Eurogroup, the gathering of finance ministers from the 17 EU countries that use the euro currency.

Their decision might come only as a broad political agreement, with technical details to be hammered out in the coming days. But without an agreement in principle, the ECB is likely to pull the plug on the country's banking system.

Cyprus already took significant steps toward cementing a new plan Friday night, when lawmakers voted to restructure ailing banks, restrict financial transactions in emergencies and set up a "solidarity fund" that should act as the vehicle for raising funds from investments and contributions.

The bank restructuring will include the country's second largest lender, Laiki, which suffered heavy losses after being exposed to toxic Greek debt. The restructuring and the sale of Greek branches of Cypriot banks are expected to significantly lower the 5.8 billion euros that the country needs to raise on its own to secure the rescue loan package.

Cypriot banks have been shut this past week while the plan was being worked out, and are not due to reopen until Tuesday. Cash has been available through ATMs, but many run out quickly.

______

Associated Press writer Elena Becatoros in Nicosia, Cyprus, contributed to this story.

______

Don Melvin can be reached at https://twitter.com/Don_Melvin

Juergen Baetz can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jbaetz

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cyprus-turns-brussels-help-bailouot-153541623--finance.html

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Has Obama's Mideast trip changed the game on the ground?

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

US President Barack Obama, left, listens to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their visit to the Children's Memorial at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, Israel, on Friday.

By Martin Fletcher, Correspondent, NBC News

News analysis

TEL AVIV ? The verdict among Israeli pundits was unanimous: if President Barack Obama was an Israeli politician, he'd be a shoo-in to lead the liberal left.

His call for the Israeli government to halt Jewish settlement building in the West Bank, for a Palestinian state, his recognition of Israel's historical claim to the land and his demand for a secure Israel, is all straight out of the playbook of what remains of Israel's left.

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His speech to Israeli students Thursday, who were carefully vetted to make sure they were in political agreement with him, was greeted numerous times by applause and a few standing ovations. And while many Israelis may have disagreed with the content of the speech, Obama's sincerity was felt by all.

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Obama drew a clear parallel between the Passover story of Jewish slaves fleeing Egypt and fighting for their rights, and the African-American struggle out of slavery and fight for their rights. That bond of shared experience, and the genuineness of his feelings, really came through.

So when Obama insisted that "all options are on the table" to stop Iran's nuclear program, he sounded convincing. And when he moved on to demand that Israel stop building settlements and make tough decisions to reach peace with the Palestinians, his words met with a more receptive audience.

For many Israelis, Obama won their hearts and their minds, but as one said to this reporter: "What now?"

President Obama spoke to an audience of more than 2,000 Israeli citizens at the Jerusalem Convention Center and stressed the necessity of peace between Israel and Palestine.

Any closer to peace talks?
Are Israel and the Palestinians closer to peace talks than they were before Obama came? Did the fine words add up to momentum?

That will be up to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to discover when he returns to Jerusalem Saturday to try, as so many have before him, to kick-start the peace process.?

Overall, Obama's message had something for everyone.

The first half of Obama's speech, in which he confirmed Israel's right to the land, pleased Israel's right wing. The second half, in which he called for compromise with the Palestinians and a Palestinian state, pleased the left wing.

When he said this is a Jewish democratic state, Jews were thrilled and Palestinians were furious.

When he said Israel will not survive as a Jewish democratic state with settlements on Palestinian land, Palestinians were thrilled and many Israelis were furious.

But after trying to be all things to all people, Obama departed leaving behind a question: What just happened? Was there any American commitment to get started with the talks?

Israelis charmed, Palestinians insulted
The answer is: no. The message was: we are here to help, but first you have to do the work. In other words, nothing changed, beyond people?s impression of Obama as a leader.

President Obama, alongside and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, says the U.S. remains "deeply committed" to the creation of an independent and sovereign state of Palestine.

Israelis were encouraged that Obama really does like them; Operation Charm worked.

But Palestinians were left fuming, and many say they were insulted.

They complained that he mentioned a Jewish rocket victim by name, but didn?t mention any of the many Palestinian victims, or the approximately 4,500 prisoners in Israeli jails. He visited the grave of two Israeli icons, Theodor Herzl and Yitzhak Rabin, but refused even to walk by the shrine to Yasser Arafat. He did not repeat the Palestinian demand that Israel stop building settlements as a condition for peace talks.

In short, Palestinians got very little, and Israel got a bit more.

At least, that's what the public saw.

Big brother still calling the shots
There was at least one big surprise from the backroom talks between Obama and Netanyahu that should go a long way toward improving frayed ties between two important U.S. allies in the region.?

After three years of refusing to do so, Netanyahu called his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan Friday to apologize for "any error" that may have led to the deaths of nine Turkish activists during a 2010 raid on a boat off the Gaza Strip.

The two agreed to normalize relations ? a major breakthrough. It means the two big U.S. allies can now resume military cooperation, which should help to contain the spillover of the Syrian civil war in the region ? and lessen Israel's isolation in the volatile region.

What isn't known yet is what was agreed to behind closed doors about how to deal with the twin threats of Iran and Syria.

In the press conference that followed their discussions, both sides seemed satisfied with the current degree of military and intelligence cooperation on both subjects.

But did Obama leave with the certainty that Israel would not interfere with the American timetable for dealing with the Iranian threat?

We don?t know more than we knew before, which is that impatient little Israel can't do much without their more patient bigger brother.?

But at least, after this visit by the American president, the brotherly relationship appears more credible than before.

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Related:

Israel's Netanyahu apologizes to Turkey over deadly flotilla raid

Photo Blog: Obama wraps up Holy Land visit at Bethlehem church after Holocaust tribute

Obama visits a Bethlehem in midst of change, Islamization

Obama appeals to Israelis: Give justice to the Palestinians

Iran threatens to destroy Tel Aviv, Haifa if Israel attacks

Obama: 'Still time' for diplomatic solution to Iran nuke dispute

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Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653387/s/29e82b1e/l/0Lworldnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C230C174171340Ehas0Eobamas0Emideast0Etrip0Echanged0Ethe0Egame0Eon0Ethe0Eground0Dlite/story01.htm

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An inside look at Apple Anonymous, an attempt to both secret and social

Even outside Cupertino, in the massive retail division of Apple, secrecy is deeply held value. Yet people are, by nature, social animals, and platforms like Twitter and even Google+, filled with friends and family, are in many cases just too big to ignore. Some simply draw up a firewall, never mentioning anything not already public knowledge about their employer or their employment, and focusing on the other things they enjoy, and other issues in the world. Others, however, want to use places like Twitter as a way to blow off company steam -- as a place to bitch about their jobs. Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac has taken a look at that side of the Apple/Twitter equation:

Even with strict, Apple Corporate-implemented policies on social media usage of its employees, a portion of Apple retail employees have formed an under-the-radar, ?Apple Anonymous? community over social media sites like Twitter and Google+. The majority of these employees work on these social media networks under ?anonymous? personalities.

Gurman focuses on the @GeniusBarTales account in particular, on the Fearless Feedback concept at Apple Retail, Net Promoter for our People (NPP) surveys, and what, if any, role "Apple Anonymous" played in getting the word out about unpopular changes made by then Apple Retail head John Browett, since fired.

It's a long piece, but for anyone interested in Apple Retail, a fascinating one.

Source: 9to5Mac

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/9m4M8eSBJDc/story01.htm

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S. Korea misidentifies China as cyberattack origin

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? In an embarrassing twist to a coordinated cyberattack on six major South Korean companies this week, investigators said Friday they wrongly identified a Chinese Internet Protocol address as the source.

A joint team of government and private experts still maintains that hackers abroad were likely to blame, and many analysts suspect North Korea. But the error raises questions about investigators' ability to track down the source of an attack that shut down 32,000 computers Wednesday and exposed big Internet security holes in one of the world's most wired, tech-savvy countries.

South Korean investigators said Thursday that a malicious code that spread through the server of one of the hackers' targets, Nonghyup Bank, was traced to an IP address in China. Even then it was clear that the attack could have originated elsewhere because hackers can easily manipulate such data.

But the state-run Korea Communications Commission said Friday that the IP address actually belonged to a computer at the bank. The IP address was used only for the company's internal network and happened to be identical to a public Chinese address.

"We were careless in our efforts to double-check and triple-check," KCC official Lee Seung-won told reporters. He blamed the error on investigators' rush to give the public details on the search for a culprit.

Yonhap news agency, in an analysis Friday, called the blunder "ridiculous" and said the announcement is certain to undermine government credibility.

Yonhap criticized officials for failing to dispel public anxiety in a country where people's lives are closely interwoven with services provided by media and financial institutions.

An initial assumption that the attack came from abroad may have made investigators jump to conclusions, said Lee Kyung-ho, a cybersecurity expert at Seoul's Korea University.

"They rushed," he said. "They should've investigated by checking the facts step by step."

The investigation will take weeks. Investigators have said the attacks appeared to come from "a single organization" and suspect the hackers were from outside the country. Lee Seung-won, the KCC official, discounted the possibility that the attack could have come from within South Korea, but he didn't elaborate.

Lee Kyung-ho and many other South Korean experts suspect North Korea is behind the attack on broadcasters YTN, MBC and KBS, as well as Nonghyup and two other banks.

While there are many possible explanations, he said, including a homegrown hacker, the culprits are most likely to be North Koreans angry over ongoing U.S.-South Korean military drills. Lee said Pyongyang is well aware that an attack on financial institutions and media companies would create lots of publicity and turmoil in South Korea's vibrantly capitalistic society.

North Korea has issued many threats against the South and the U.S. in recent days, but by Friday it had yet to mention the South Korean computer crashes in state-run media.

South Korean officials say they have no proof of Pyongyang's involvement. The country is preparing to deal with more possible attacks, presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung told reporters earlier Friday. He didn't elaborate.

Determining who's behind a digital attack is often difficult, but North Korea is a leading suspect for several reasons.

It has unleashed a torrent of threats against Seoul and Washington since punishing U.N. sanctions were imposed for Pyongyang's Feb. 12 nuclear test. It calls ongoing routine U.S.-South Korean military drills a threat to its existence. Pyongyang also threatened revenge after blaming Seoul and Washington for a separate Internet shutdown that disrupted its own network last week.

Seoul alleges six previous cyberattacks by North Korea on South Korean targets since 2009.

Wednesday's cyberattack did not affect South Korea's government, military or infrastructure, and there were no initial reports that customers' bank records were compromised. But it disabled cash machines and disrupted commerce.

All three of the banks that were hit were back online and operating regularly Friday. It could be next week before the broadcasters' systems have fully recovered, though they said their programming was never affected.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/skorea-misidentifies-china-cyberattack-origin-071506659.html

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Top 10 Date Ideas to Improve Communication in Your Relationship ...

If communication in your relationship is lacking it becomes a challenge to have a great relationship. ?When relationships fall apart communication can usually be pinpointed as a cause. ?Strong relationships and marriages usually have solid communication as a foundation.

An important part of successful relationships

I am a huge proponent of having regular date nights not just in the dating phase, but throughout marriage. ?It has been a challenge for my wife and I to be consistent through our marriage; however, we have recently been on it.

While we used to get a handful of dates for the year, over the past 1-2 months we have only missed one (weekly) date night. ?We only missed it because we were in the middle of moving to a new house.

Date Night should be deeper than the activity

Even in being more consistent it can still be challenging to come up with date night ideas. ?In a conversation with our marriage mentors, they said something very interesting. ?Many of the dates we have do not foster a good environment for communication. ?There may be activities, but not really the opportunity to have intimate conversation.

We go to dinner and a movie. ?At dinner we have some opportunity to talk, but the movie we have to be quiet. ?We attend an event. ?Time together, but not ideal for intimate conversation. ?We go out with friends. ?That is fun, but the deep conversations may be limited. ?We go on a shopping trip. ?Fun, especially for the women, but void of deep conversations.

Dating should deepen your relationship

Our mentors went on to say having dates in which they were able to have long, intimate conversations became the foundation of their communication in marriage. ?It has lead to a deep friendship. ?They are able to talk to one another about any and everything because they have done so for years. ?Activities and stuff has not filled their time together. ?What we may find boring, they found essential.

As I thought about this, it had me thinking. ?What types of dates are best for having these deep conversations. ?I learned they don?t have to be complicated, but they also don?t have to be boring. ?Below I listed several.

Top 10 Date Ideas to Improve Communication in Your Relationship

1. A walk in the park. ?Take a walk with your spouse in a scenic area. ?If you live in the city with limited nature, then walk and talk in your neighborhood. ?Make sure you hold hands.
2. A patio date. ?Put the kids to bed, or lock them inside the house. ?Yes, inside! ?Go out to your patio with lemonade, or your favorite drink, and strike up a conversation. ?Talk about your past, your present, and your future.
3. Random chat from a hat. ?Put a variety of conversation topics in a hat. ?When you are on your date, pull out one of the topics and talk about it. ?Don?t allow the kids to come up in conversation, the bills, work, or anything else. ?Talk exclusively about that topic. ?(This can be used to facilitate conversations for any of the above or below date ideas)
4. Late night coffee shop date. ?Coffee shops like Starbucks are full of people during the day. ?However, late at night before closing it can be very quiet. ?Find the hours of coffee shops near you, and stop by the last 45-60 minutes prior to closing. ?Grab a warm drink and chat away.
5. Ice cream date. ?If you have an ice cream shop within walking distance take advantage! ?Walk, holding hands, to the shop and grab some ice cream. ?Sit outside and talk while eating and talking. ?Don?t sit inside if possible. ?Get outside. ?Then enjoy your walk, and talk, back home.
6. Visit the art museum. ?The art museum is a quiet place. ?It is not ?library quiet? where talking is discouraged, but it is quiet and intimate. ?Whether you are into art or ?not. ?Whether you know a lot or a little about art. ?Go check out some pieces and discuss them. ?You?ll learn a lot about one another when you do.
7. Double dutch bike riding. ?Remember the old school double dutch bikes? My grandfather used to have one, and I wonder if he and my grandmother ever had a ?bike date.? ?Take a light bike ride. ?Although you will be active you can still enjoy a good conversation. ?If you don?t own one, rent one at a bike shop.
8. Star gazing. ?Similar to the patio date, lock the kids inside if they are home with you and go outside. ?Lay in the grass, look up at the stars, and talk. ?Just like the art museum some interesting and perhaps revealing conversations will take place. ?You could also drive to an open area where you can see the stars, get out and sit on the hood and talk. ?That is old school.
9. Paint something. ?Paint a room in your house, just the two of you. ?Paint a painting. ?You will be forced to talk. ?And then you?ll have something, the finished painting, which reminds you of the conversation you had when you worked on it.
10. Create a scrapbook. ?Find some old pics, some new pics, scrap booking supplies, and a room alone. ?Talk and create a book that you?ll remember and love to share later on.

I encourage you to date, but don?t just have dates filled with activities and distractions. ?Have dates that are intentional about growing your relationship. ?Great communication is the key to that. ?Relationships built on solid communication are relationships that will thrive in all circumstances.

BMWK family ? Do you have deep conversations with your spouse? ?In addition to the ways above, how can you improve the communication in your relationship? ?Please share in the comment section below.

About the author

Jackie Bledsoe, Jr. is a husband, father, writer, blogger, and entrepreneur. He shares his experiences at JackieBledsoe.com, writing about Family Leadership in his quest to GET better and help you GET better in leading your family. Read more articles like this on his blog, ?Follow? him on Twitter, and ?Like? him on Facebook.

Source: http://blackandmarriedwithkids.com/2013/03/top-10-date-ideas-to-improve-communication-in-your-relationship/

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Barnes and Noble giving away Nook Simple Touch with every Nook HD+ purchase in limited promo

Americans love a good bargain -- especially, when it's a twofer. Barnes and Noble, arguably the only real competitor to Amazon's Kindle juggernaut, has just announced a promotion to get as many of its Nook readers into consumers' hands as possible. Starting March 24th and running until the end of the month, consumers that purchase the Nook HD+ online, in-store or at select big box retailers will also be given a free Nook Simple Touch. The limited promotion comes hot on the heels of rumors that B&N would start to de-emphasize hardware production for the Nook line in favor of its content services; a rumor the company publicly shot down. Still, there's no denying e-reader market share's been an uphill battle for B&N, even if the segment is seeing marginal year-over-year increases. Numbers aside, if you've been holding out on joining the digital reading fray because of cost, now's the time to make the switch.

Filed under: Tablets

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Via: The Next Web

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/22/barnes-and-noble-giving-away-nook-simple-touch-with-every-nook-hd-plus/

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