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 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'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 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'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

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'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 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'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 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!

Focus on Winning Your Goals

Before you walk into a meeting, know the following:
• who your audience is
• their expectations
• the context in which you are presenting your information
• your desired outcome

From pg.220, In the Company of Women
By Katherine Gay
ISBN: 0-00-255731-2

Glaciers suffer record shrinkage

"The rate at which some of the world's glaciers are melting has more than doubled, data from the United Nations Environment Programme has shown. Experts have called for 'immediate action' to reverse the trend, which is seen as a key climate change indicator."--read more: BBC News

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Are we to paint what's on the face, what's inside the face, or what's behind it?"
--Pablo Picasso

Tuesday Tooth Report

Don't worry, my teeth didn't put a damper on Easter. I chose pure milk chocolate — melty goodness and no peanut chunks collecting in my braces! (Thanks to a wonderful neighbour, I still got the peanutty taste with peanut butter-filled chocolate eggs! Yum.)

National Geographic's Green Guide: Plastics

To make sure that your plastic water bottles and storage (food or other) containers are safe for your family and the environment, check their plastic type. On their bottom, you'll see a number inside a triangle pressed into the plastic. 3, 6, and 7 are considered plastics to avoid. Between probable cancer-causing properties and hormone disruptors, you'll want to turn these plastics in for recycling and replace with safer ones. ...read more at National Geographic's TheGreenGuide.com

Book Review — The Entrepreneurial Itch

• Author: David Trahair
• ISBN-13: 978-1-55180-735-5
• ISBN-10: 1-55180-753-1
• Publisher: Self-Counsel Press
• 153 pages, soft-cover
• $13.95 US / $17.95 CDN

Small business owner, Chartered Accountant, and writer of books on personal finance and small business, David Trahair, offers an honest look at what to expect when starting a new business.

A quick read and written in terms that anyone can understand, this 153-page book plainly tells you what off-ramps, pit stops and potholes to expect on the road to creating a business. Not one to sugarcoat it, Trahair recommends a self-effacing “Attributes of a Successful Entrepreneur” test that might leave a sour taste in your mouth but will cut straight to the core — do you have the right personality to be an entrepreneur. He asks questions like: Are you able to sell yourself, meet people, research your market and competition, push yourself to work long hours for the first 3-5 years while the business gets its footing, delegate work where appropriate, listen to the advice of your customers, etc., etc.? If you pass, proceed to Go. If not, consider a safer, more palatable career path.

He likens owning a business to owning a 3-legged stool. All three legs of your business — Operations, Sales, and Administration — must be sturdy enough to keep that stool upright. A flaw in one leg could tip the entire… you get the metaphor.

The book includes keys to marketing/selling yourself on a start-up’s budget, easing the cash-flow crunch, bookkeeping basics, integrating your business with your life, and buying a franchise.

Although a little too quick to promote other Self-Counsel Press publications, Entrepreneurial Itch, at under $20, is a super starting point for anyone considering striking out on their own. It will help you determine if your skills, your drive and your ideas are strong enough to turn that burning desire into a full-fledged business venture or to apply ointment to keep you from scratching.

Speaking of Teeth...

"A museum visitor observes the teeth in a large-scale model of the human mouth, complete with rubber tongue, taste buds, and tonsils, at the Corpus museum in Oegstgeest, 35 kilometres southeast of Amsterdam. The makers of Corpus, a new attraction in the Netherlands, are hoping that a combination amusement park and health education museum will encourage kids to take better care of their own bodies. (Fred Ernst/Associated Press)" -- via CBC News "This Week in Pictures"

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Inside every fat ad there's a thinner and better one trying to get out." —Advertising writer, Tony Cox

Tuesday Tooth Report

As a few of you know, I've recently gotten braces. Straightening teeth seems to be a two-year process these days -- much faster than when I was in highschool.

I've decided to blog the experience once a week for the duration of the process -- a kind of performance art using my jaw as the medium. Pushing and pulling teeth around like clay on a turning wheel. Hopefully sculpting the perfect smile in the process.

So, stay tuned for Tuesday Tooth Reports!