Paul M. Done

Creating Lasting Positive Change

pauldone — Sun, 20 May 2012 15:55:09 +0000

21 Day Challenge

If we study what is merely average, we will remain merely average.” (Shawn Achor)

A projilliet (pronounced pro-gil-e-a) is some series of seemingly unrelated events that produce an extraordinary result. Discovering a projilliet transforms one’s life and introduces increase in experience and outcomes previously unrealized. A projilliet is a creature requiring care by one wishing to incorporate it in their life.

The following projilliet will transform your capability to perform, excel and think. Should you accept the following parameters studies have found the wiring of your brain will change. Applying the following principles for 21 days is the first requirement for incolcating this projilliet in your life.

For 21 Consecutive Days (do the following)

Three Gratitudes (Emmons & McCullough 2003)

Every day write down something new you are thankful for. Do not repeat any item previously listed.

Journal (Statelar & Pennebaker 2006)

Each day journal your progress. Write down one success that happened to you during the day (past 24 hours).

Exercise (Babyak et al 2000)

Do some physical activity for thirty minutes each day specifically to raise the heart rate.

Meditation (Dweck 2007)

Sit in a quiet place and consider the events of the day. Focus on positive things. By reliving these events you allow your brain to enjoy the event again.

Random Act of Kindness (Lynbornsky, 2006)

Do three things for someone else intended to make another person happy without expectation for reward.

Each of these things should be done each day for 21 consecutive days. Should an item be missed you should begin again the follwoing day from day 1. These five activities will introduce a projilliet into your life allowing you to find greater happiness, increasing your innate ability to think better, be more productive and become more creative in your problem solving abilities.

Expectations
This may be a difficult task to accomplish at first, it may seem silly or incapable of producing the intended effect. Do not be discouraged, these small and simple things will produce results. You may also discover the circle of your colleagues change, your positive impacts will have a profound impact on those around you. It may become apparent to you that people understand you better, anticipate your next choices, and emulate your attitude. You will be wise to keep not acknowledge this to them, but continue encouraging them to do good things.

Resources
The Happy Secret to Better Work, Shawn Achor, TED Talks, May 2011

My Makeup

pauldone — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:36:53 +0000

A hobby I have been developing over the years is to trace my family history. Certain lines are very well documented, while others are less so complete. Except for two sets of parents I have completed up to the sixth generation of my ancestors.

This got me thinking today how mixed my background is. I knew that I was at least western European, but I did not know the variety of the countries. Through my research I found of my thirty-two nearest ancestors (grandparents) 45% are English, 19% are Spanish, 12% are German and 6% are Scottish, Dutch, Irish, and Czech each.

Why America Needs Mitt Romney

pauldone — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 03:41:44 +0000

Mitt Romney is prepared to restore the American dream and replace a presidential dreamer. Mitt Romney has a history of success and represents the last hope for a nation balancing on the edge of success or failure. Obama was given the chance and has exhibited miserably his inability to turn around a poor situation.

PROJECT: Picnic Table – Build 1

pauldone — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 03:40:21 +0000

I have designed and built a picnic table for my backyard patio. It is my first time to do so. I sketched out a design from the memory of one I saw my father build as a dining room table. I wanted it to fit six (6) people. I designed it to be very sturdy, even over engineering it. While it has been enjoyable to build, already I have a better design planned for the next one.
These pictures show the progress of the table between the construction and the stain I will apply to weatherproof it.
The base of the table is made from pressure treated lumber to withstand the elements. The single upright on each end is bolted into the base and slightly elevated from the ground to prevent the base from sitting in water, or being worn down except on the fashioned feet.

I have already purchased the steel framed seats for the table. Once complete the table will be stained and sealed with deck stain. The base is going to be a slate gray, and the top a redwood color.

As an outdoor picnic table I could afford a more rugged appearance. The structure underneath is very sturdy with pressure treated cross members secured by 3" outdoor deck screws.

The finishing touch is a red 9 foot (3m) umbrella which is positioned in the middle of the table to shade and protect the table from the elements. With small LED lights planned underneath the umbrella the table may be used in either night or day.
If I am pleased by the outcome of this table and still want to make another one, I may end up selling this on Craigs List at the end of summer for the cost of material.

Driving on Rim

pauldone — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:23:15 +0000

Driving on I-495 near Kensington, Maryland I drove next this truck and trailer who was actively driving on his steel rim. Come on Maryland.

Spring in Washington 2012

pauldone — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:34:22 +0000

Spring in Washington DC has started. Included with the improved weather and warmer longer days are more sights to see.
This morning while taking a quick morning walk I was struck by two images which I was fortunate to take a quick picture of. First, was a man I have seen on the streets before. I beleive he without a home. He walks around with a well-crafted Capatain America shield on his home transport system (shopping cart). Seeing him I was struck by the high quality construction of the shield.

Another striking view are the trees that are beginning to bloom. These are not the pink blossoms of Cherry Trees that surround the Tidal Basin, made so famous by the Cherry Festival near the Jefferson Memorial. Instead, these are trees local (indigenous?) to the area that bloom this time of year. Their blooms along with the warmer days indicate the doors of winter are beginning to close as the windows of Spring return the colours, smells and pollen common with the season.

The gentle pink blossoms make this region of the United States an enjoyable place to live this time of year.

Rise of the TC Computer – Raspberry Pi

pauldone — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 13:37:26 +0000

This week will likely be viewed by history as the start of a tidal shift in the computing world. Raspberry Pi is more than a delicious dessert. Except for the excitement of the hardware enthusists, the world focused on other things like Windows 8 or US politics; hardly new or interesting.
On Wednesday 29 February 2012 the Raspberry Pi debuted to the public. The credit card size computer sold out its first run of 10,000 units in less than hour. The excitement was around the new inexpensive computing platform designed to interest young people in learning to program.
What is It
Raspberry Pi looks like a circuit board. About the size of a business card the Raspberry Pi has two USB connectors, an ethernet connector, HDMI connector power slots and place to insert an digital storage chip. On board is a 700 Mhz processor and 256 MB of memory stroage. This is all enough to run a fully functional computer when connected to a keyboard, mouse and monitor. The best part is it was designed to make it easier for almost anyone to afford and use. At US$35 (£22) the computer makes it easier for anyone to get a fully functionl computer at a very reasonable price.
What makes this more exciting is the size, low power consumption and open ability means anyone with an inclination can create tiny computer applications. Already people are creating automated telephone voicemail services, building media centers and home automation applications. I have considered creating autombile interfaces, mobile teleconference boxes, GPS devices, decorative and elaborate cases and clean and elegant desktop workstations. The list goes and and as more and more people put their imagination to this new technology. One thing becomes clear, with this new technology someone is going to become very wealthy.
This week, will likely be viewed as the start of a new era, the rise of the TC (Tiny – Cheap) Computer and the beginning of a flood of inexpensive computer tools.

Done Coat of Arms

pauldone — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:03:21 +0000

Done Coat of Arms / Done Family Crest

The surname of DONE has the associated arms recorded in Sir Bernard Burkes General Armory. Ulster King of Arms in 1883. Registered at Flaxyards, Duddon and Oulton, County Chester. The surname was originally a locational name meaning ‘the dweller at the down’ from residence on the slope of a hill. A variant peculiar to Chester, and found in that district is Donne. Early records of the name mention Gilbert de la Donne, 1273, County Essex. John Donne was rector of Matlask, County Norfolk in the year 1386. Richard Done of Chester (ironmonger) was listed in the Wills at Chester in the year 1576, and Catherine Done appears in Utlinton, Chester in 1638. The names introduced into Britain by the Normans during the Invasion of 1066 were of three kinds. There were names of Norse origin which their ancestors had carried into Normandy; names of Germanic origin which the Frankish conquerors had brought across the Rhine and which had ousted the old Celtic and Latin names from France, and Biblical names and names of Latin and Greek saints. These names they retained even after the customs and language of the natives of Northern France had been adopted by them. After the Norman Conquest not only Normans, but Frenchmen and Bretons from other parts of France settled in England, and quite a few found their way north into Scotland. Other instances of the name include Hugh Done and Ellen Fryer who were married at St. Jame’s, Clerkenwell, London in the year 1634, and Edward Francis who married Janell Donn at St. James’s, Clerkenwell, London in the year 1645. During the 17th century surnames were brought to Britain, North America and southern Africa by French Huguenot exiles. The Huguenots were French Protestants, and in 1572 large numbers of them were massacred in Paris on the orders of Queen Catherine de’Medici. Many of the survivors sought refuge in England and elsewhere. Although the Edict of Nantes (1598) officially guaranteed religious toleration, persecution continued, and the Edict was revoked by Louis XIV in 1685. It was then the trickle of emigration became a flood. Many migrated to England, while others joined groups of Dutch Protestants settling around the Cape of Good Hope. Others sailed across the Atlantic to establish themselves in North America.

Home Page Updated

pauldone — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:36:46 +0000

I have completed the structure and much of the underlying applications for the new homepage at http://pauldone.com

The new page includes a greater amount of dynamic content. Inside the website shares posts, observations and pulls several of the development applications I have been working on for years. The site includes a number of galleries including over 300Gb of photos and digital images captured from the photographers in our family.

Plan of Action: Realizing Dreams

pauldone — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:20:08 +0000

The myth is ageless, a genie is released from a lamp and grants the liberator with three wishes. Magic lamps exist in fairy tales and legends, but real life requires work. This is what you have been taught since childhood; if you want to go outside and play you must clean your room first. The reward is conditional upon the effort put forth, the completion of tasks.
Without wishes or dreams would you do anything? These goals, or dreams propel us beyond our default destiny. If we do nothing but maintain course, continue doing what we are doing, the results of our actions yield our default destiny. Wishes add to life’s variety. Like a spice adds to a meal, the variety of life enhances life itself making everything else more meaningful.
Defining Dreams
Dreams are the conjured conditions of a mind that is not confined by the perceived realities of our existance. Dreams which escape imagination and transcend into our living world and become subject to realities become wishes. Itis not possible to take wish and make it a dream. Instead wishes come form dreams, the free form thought of our subconscious state creates wishes when recognize and act upon them.
Wishes Realized
Your mind has already told you something is possible. Regardless of how fanciful your dreams may be, the mind creates conditions based on your experiences. Your experiences have told your mind it is possible for something to occur. You must now decide if your dreams, the conjoured imaginations of an unrestricted mind will be realized.
Recording Dreams
Keep a record of your dreams, those which impact you and cause you to think or those you simply recall. Those dreams you remember escape the filter of an unreasonable action and will propel you to seize the acion only your mind has seen. Many famous people have recorded dreams that shape history, Caligula, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, nd Edgar Allen Poe all dreamed dreams that have changed the course of history.
Transform a Dream
For a dream to become a wish and a wish to be realized there must be action. Consider your dream and ask yourself if you want to pursue your dream. Decide the steps you can take to realize your wishes. Planning a course, defining you wish will enable you to reach higher heights that you otherwise could. It is all within you.