Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

A sincere artist is not one who makes a faithful attempt to put on to canvas what is in front of him, but one who tries to create something which is, in itself, a living thing." —William Dobell

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Tuesday Tooth Report

Finally my molars are starting to settle. This week, it's much easier to find teeth that connect so that grinding food is possible. Aesthetically, there is really only one tooth left to align. Functionally, my molars still need a lot of work to correct my bite. Still, I'm pleased with how quick this process is. Some days I can actually feel teeth moving. For example, two days last week the second-last teeth on both sides of my upper jaw seemed to have been pulled down from their socket. I have no idea if that's possible but both of them seemed to connect with their matching bottom-row tooth sooner whenever I chewed. You would think that moving something as hard as teeth embedded in something as hard as bone would be like moving mountains — not so. It turns out that bone it quite pliable — in my case, anyway!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

I dream a lot. I do more painting when I'm not painting. It's in the subconscious." —Andrew Wyeth

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Tuesday Tooth Report

The arrival of the square wire two weeks ago has really got things moving up top. Molars are in constant motion -- my bite has its challenges some days! Soft foods like lasagna are easier to chomp than, say, steak. The grinding motion is offline right now but I'm confident it's all worth it. My teeth look more aligned every day!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

The creative process is a cocktail of instinct, skill, culture and a highly creative feverishness. It is not like a drug; it is a particular state when everything happens very quickly, a mixture of consciousness and unconsciousness, of fear and pleasure; it’s a little like making love, the physical act of love."
—Francis Bacon

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Book Review — How to succeed in your home business

• Author: Larry Easto
• ISBN: 0-385-25516-0
• Publisher: Doubleday Canada Limited
• 168 pages, soft-cover, $16.95 CDN

The Globe and Mail describes this book as “useful for anyone thinking of starting a company”; I would add “… for ANY company — home-based or not.”

With the ultimate respect for the home-based business, Larry Easto, author, lawyer and business owner, places the smallest of businesses in a world context. Quoting notorious business book writers, Faith Popcorn (The Popcorn Report) and Taichi Sakaiya (The Knowledge Value Revolution), this well-read author likens home business to the “ultimate downsized business operation”. If big organizations are seen as bad, it follows that small operations will be seen as preferable alternatives.

Writing short chapters that focus on one issue at a time and break information into subtopics, Easto allows you to read his book in increments or by skipping to topics that are relevant to your current business situation. He knows the value of an entrepreneur’s time and he doesn’t waste it.

Containing information for any business at any stage in its life, this book features:
• Entrepreneur Test
• Start-Up Checklist (the most thorough I’ve seen)
• Client Service Tips (3 chapters dedicated to various topics in client service)
• Customer Satisfaction Questionnaires
• Understanding Financial Statements
• Networking How-To
• Developing a Business Plan
• Developing a Marketing Plan
• 7 Deadly Sins of Running Your Home Business
• 10 Commandments of Running Your Home Business

This little book with it’s unassuming title has big plans to make you more aware of all facets of your company than you’ve ever been before. “How to succeed in your home business” is for anyone, no matter what stage your business is at and no matter where it’s located — home or otherwise.

Tuesday Tooth Report

Yesterday was my first Dentist appointment since I've been going to the Orthodontist. I had my usual cleaning. The Dentist seemed pleased with how clean I've been able to keep my teeth even with all those brackets obscuring the process. If you're considering getting braces, be prepared for your Dentist to want to clean your teeth every 4-6 months rather than annually. It's extremely important to catch any problems early.

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

An artist should never be a prisoner of himself, prisoner
of style, prisoner of reputation, prisoner of success, etc."
—Henri Matisse

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Tuesday Tooth Report

Yesterday was my third Orthodontist appointment. On the bottom row, we removed a hook and replaced it with a true bracket now that that tooth has been pulled close enough to the rest of them. Then the old wire was put back on. Up top, the old wire was replaced with a square wire. Those teeth are aligned enough now that it's time to begin working on my bite. Cold drinks are a no-no today! They shoot straight to the root of things. Eek!

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Listen to the sound of my voice and you will know that I mean you no harm." —spoken by the character Chakotay in Star Trek Voyager, when trying to communicate with someone that didn't speak his language. Episode: Basics, Part II.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Tuesday Tooth Report

This week no pain to report. It's the week before a wire change so I imagine, as with last time, my teeth have finished moving with this wire. They tell me that next week's wire is going to be quite a bit thicker. Yikes!