end of the year wrap up

Just wanted to post a few things while I had a chance:

• Autodesk 3december- This year was the first time I helped organize the event, in years past I have been MC or MC and presenter at the Austin 2008 3December event but this year I got more invovled and it turned out to be a great event. A big thanks to all the guest speakers and the local studios that let their artists come out during the middle of the afternoon, you all made it a great show.
• Math- I am starting over and trying to learn to like it instead of fighting it, it is every where, I use it all the time and the man made world we live in would not exist with out it so I am working on it.
• Tools- there are a few new websites out there besides all the great Google tools that I am really liking, one of them is the adobe site..http://www.adobe.com/acom/ The screeen sharing tool and meeting rooms along with file storage are great and have been a very powerfull and usefull tool for working with remote artists and programers on all kinds of things. I still really like JING also for quick shareing of videos and images, great for support or comunication of ideas.
  
• If you read one Blog- or two - there are lots of sites that are intresting to read but few offer so much quality content, one is http://www.37signals.com/svn/ , they make great software and they are a very open company based on sharing and they have great posts. The other is http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/ Tim Ferriss blog , for people that are wanting to win the war over personal time and living a life that is full or learning ways to change something about your self , he is a life hacker and the blog is great.
  

grandmas poem

We just found this recently tucked away in some old papers of my grandparents. I know she would have liked to share it, I think she would have been a good blogger, she was a fast typist and worked on one of the first super computers in a public service company. Love and miss you.

OUR BRAD
He fills our hearts with so much joy,
This talented loving golden haired boy.
Hard to recall the many memories
Of this "Imp" full of fun and such a tease.
He tries hard, always doing the very best he can.
Has ability to befriend small boys or a grown man.
His accomplishments are versatile, but excels in art.
Mom,dad, grandparents can claim a part
Of paintings drawn by Brad,from the heart.
No need to express how very proud we are
Of this dear young man whose sure to go far.

mind of a child

So mark this under, a proud moment in a season of giving. My 4 year old heard a story on public radio about the homless shelter running out of blankets and needing more... fast forward to a very cold day and us checking the weather. I say, oh it is going to be cold out today and the response was" DAD! what about the guys that can't get blankets, we should give them some and help them" so today we went and bought 4 sleeping bags and extra blankets and then I drove us down town to the shelter to give them our donation.

This affected both of us but, the child mind more than me, upon seeing all the people lined up outside the shelter waiting for the time they hand out blankets, it triggered an avalanche of questions the whole way home. Talk of why they carry so much stuff, why don't they look up when they walk, why are they sad, standing around, why they don't have a house, where they sleep, how they live, about kids in Africa that don't have any thing, about how lucky and thankfull we were to have a warm place to stay and on and on...how we hoped other people would donate blankets as well so they had enough.

I think it was an incredible act for a child so small to tirgger such an act of giving; even though I did most of the leg work none of it would have happened with out the concern of a child for humans in need. I know todays events will stay with our family for the rest of our lives and both shaped our child's thoughts of the world as it exposed a small glimpse in to a future adult my child would be some day and I am so proud and humbled by the power of thought and its ability to create action.

Be open, willing and selfless , listen to you children because they are listing to life and support and encourage and live by example for they will mirror you and your choices. I can't take credit for who my child is, kids are born who they are, but I will always do my best to support her selfless thoughts and enable them to become actions and I hope if some one reads this that they will find ways to take action for good.