With the New Year approaching, many of us are figuring out resolutions, and maybe some are stumped.

I have a simple one for you that I heard from an old friend long ago.  It has stuck with me all these years.

His name is Wayne and I worked with him for some time.  I grew to
appreciate the fact that Wayne had more common, practical sense than
just about anyone I knew.  This is a big compliment because I consider
common sense to be one of the most valuable skills in life, and we could
sure use a lot more of it (particularly in Washington, D. C.).

So what Wayne told me was that he tried to learn one new thing a day -
so that at the end of the year he knew 365 new things.  Now how simple,
achievable, and practical is that?  And it must be a great goal because
he went on to achieve significant professional success (and I’m sure
was learning many new things a day, actually).

In today’s Internet age, there’s a zillion ways to do this, but just
in case you need a kick start, here are two sites to begin with.  Every
day, go to www.wikipedia.com and / or www.dictionary.com and look something up.

So what should you look up?  Well, anything from whimsical to news
related.  Here are three off the top of my head I just looked up on
Wikipedia while writing this post.

Look up something whimsical – Ice Cream. Who isn’t
interested in ice cream?  Seriously, I’m pretty open-minded, but don’t
think I want to know anyone not interested in ice cream (kidding – in
case you are lactose intolerant).

Did you know the Persians probably created the first version of ice
cream before 400 BC by pouring fruit juice over snow in a bowl?  And it
looks like the Arabs were the first to use milk as a major ingredient in
its production, sweeten the ice cream with sugar, and produce it
commercially.  Ice cream was widespread by the 10th century among many
of the Arab’s major cities, such as Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo.

I can see it now, a chain of Baghdad-Robbins 31 flavors ice cream tents in the crowded bazaars.

By the way, do you know when you pig out on ice cream (I call it ice
cram) and get that brain freeze headache in your forehead that the pain
really isn’t in your forehead?  The top of your mouth, which got really
cold and is having problems, sends signals back to your brain via the
trigeminal nerve, which also serves the facial area.  So the brain
interprets the pain as coming from your forehead.  This is known as
“referred pain” (something also seen during heart attacks).

So back to the ice cream, and seriously, folks, regardless of the
turmoil in parts of the Arab world today, you have to give them credit
for creating ice cream.  Clearly they had it going on back then.

Look up something news related – Rare Earths.  I
just read in the news that China is going to restrict export of rare
earths.  So I checked it out.  Rare earths (elements) are a collection
of seventeen elements in the periodic table that have special qualities, are scarce minerals and most people
probably haven’t heard about them.  Contrast that to some of the
elements you are familiar with — like gold, silver, iron, oxygen, etc.

Interestingly, it turns out that they aren’t that rare, they are just
more dispersed in the earth (which makes them hard to get).

As a photographer, it interests me that the rare earth
element lanthanum is used to make highly reflective glass for camera
lenses.  Didn’t know that.  Now I do.  Also, I find it interesting they
all end in um, although this may not be all that useful (chuckle).

And my favorite is scandium.  Probably rare except in two places -
Washington D.C. and Hollywood.  I’m constantly reading about scandiums
in those places (I might have made that last part up).

Look up something spiritual – Chocolate.  Bet you didn’t think I was going there, did you?  But clearly, chocolate IS a spiritual experience, don’t you agree.

So let’s pay proper homage to our past “Americas” cousins, the
Aztecs, for creating chocolate!  Good to know.  Here’s another new
chocolate fact.   One theory, among many, about the origins of the word
chocolate is that it came from their word “xocolātl” (/ʃo.ko.laːtɬ/)
made up from the words “xococ” meaning sour or bitter, and “ātl” meaning water or drink.

Personally, I have problems with words beginning in X, so whatever
caused the corruption of the word to the more pronounceable chocolate
was a major advance in civilization akin to the discovery of fire, the
invention of the steam engine, ATM’s and Facebook (I might have left a
few out but just go with me on this).

So there you have it – three new things just like that.

Now, in the true spirit of common sense, I have a very practical New
Year’s resolution suggestion for you here.  And it is to forget
everything you just read in this post.  Then, on January 1, come back to
the WoodChips site and read this post over again.  That way, you will
have learned THREE new things on the first day of the year, and started
the New Year two days ahead of schedule!

So how good is that?!?!

Carpe datum - J. Daniel

Our cartoon is based on a quote from Steve Jobs, in an interview published in Odyssey: Pepsi to Apple, 1987.

I was reading many quotes by Steve the week of his passing.  Having spent most of
my adult life in software design and development, I was struck by his
constant insistence on staying true to his design principles and
striving for quality.

So Steve inspired me yet again this week, as I have had similar
feelings most of my life.  He reminded me that my experiences striving
for quality design (none of which come close to his) have ALWAYS yielded
unintended benefits down the road, many I couldn’t even imagine at the
time.

And I was reminded of another inspirational man who spoke of quality
and truth — he is Henry David Thoreau, the American philosopher who
wrote the book Walden.  I have read it for
decades, and have kept a copy of it by my bedside all these years.  It
is book worn, dog-eared, and underlined with page corners turned down
throughout.

And there is a passage, a long paragraph, I thought of when I heard of Steve’s passing.

I have read and reread it many times.  It speaks to the timelessness of quality and staying true to ourselves.

There was an artist in the city of Kouroo who was disposed to strive
after perfection. One day it came into his mind to make a staff. Having
considered that in an imperfect work time is an ingredient, but into a
perfect work time does not enter, he said to himself, It shall be
perfect in all respects, though I should do nothing else in my life. He
proceeded instantly to the forest for wood, being resolved that … Click For More Steve Jobs

“If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer.  But if he spends his days as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is deemed an industrious and enterprising citizen.”

– Henry David Thoreau