Scott Levy

Ideas collected.

MIT's Scratch: A Fun Software Development Environment For Kids of All Ages

My friend Will Bunker turned me to the Scratch Web site and development environment. Scratch lets a child of any age build an interactive application - games, greeting cards, all kinds of stuff. Kids can also set up a social network account (specific to Scratch) and friend people and comment on games. One of my favorite features is that all of the projects can be downloaded so that you can modify them and learn from them.

Web site: http://scratch.mit.edu/

Getting started guide: http://info.scratch.mit.edu/Support/Get_Started

The Dallas Museum of Art is 107. Check Out This Friday's Late Night at the DMA.

One of my favorite activities whether for kids or dates - Late nights at the DMA. It's a fun way to experience the Dallas Museum of Art, and the kids have a great time. Suitable for kids (and adults) who have the ability to discipline their urge to climb on sculptures.

http://www.dallasmuseumofart.org/Events/LateNights/index.htm

What Ideas Are Holding Us Back?

In the year...say...1450, we knew - KNEW the world was flat. At one point in time scholars and church leadership argued (and took lives) over the idea of zero.  By argue I mean if you professed belief in the concept of zero or a vacuum, you were put to death. 

In 1895 men of science were sure that the atom was the smallest particle in the universe.  Human flight, space travel, flux capacitors all are ideas that at one point in time were simply unthinkable things that "could not be" realities. Ok, perhaps flux capacitors are still science fiction.

Many ideas still come to mind.  When my father played high school football in the 1950's it was believed lifting weights made you slow and inflexible.  The idea of staying focused on a vision in sports along with   the idea of preparing mentally through visualization would have been considered silliness.

Things change. Yesterday's certainty becomes folly tomorrow.

In his various seminars, Self Development Marketer extraordinairre Anthony Robbins discusses the idea of limiting versus empowering beliefs.  I am trying hard to remember where I first heard it expressed this way:  "There two kinds of people. There are those who think they can, and those who think they can't.  Both are [kinds] are right".

It is interesting to look at our ideas as a society through the lense of our beliefs as well. 

I wonder what ideas I have - and what ideas we have as a society -  right now, that will undergo seemingly radical, unthinkable changes in future.

 

The Value of a Good Idea Compounds Over Time - Ode to a Brick

By 1954, a Denmark-based toy manufacturer called "The LEGO Company" had established a reputation for making high quality wooden toys. Some five years earlier they had introduced a plastic toy called “the automatic binding brick.”  It met a poor reception that spawned prophesies of failure in the industry press.  LEGO made good wooden toys; this brick just was not happening.

Then, something funny happened.  A junior managing director of the company, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, had an idea.   He had just spoken with a toy store buyer who lamented the fact that certain things were missing from toys of the day. Toys  didn't work together - there was no way for toys to interact with other toys. Toys did not provide a system of play. 

Kirk Christiansen's  The idea greaw into a new vision for LEGO products. Initially it was outlined in broad terms, without a specific product in mind.  Then, the entire LEGO product line - some 200 different toys - were scoured to see which had the best chance of measuring up to the   That vision was summarized, according to LEGO, like this:

  • Unlimited play potential
  • For girls and boys
  • Fun for every age
  • Year-round play
  • Healthful, quiet play
  • Long hours of play
  • Development/ imagination/ creativity
  • The more toys, the greater their value
  • Extra sets available
  • Quality in every detail

LEGO found one product with a real chance to live up to the vision.  The time of the automatic binding brick - a failure according to some -  had finally come.  

The brick was refined.  The company developed a precision mass production system around it.  The idea spread and grew. 

As of this writing,  5 billion hours per year are spent playing with LEGO bricks. The brick has twice won the award of "Toy of the Century." LEGO based video games are big sellers on systems like the Wii.  The bricks are featured in YouTube stop motion video remakes of Star Wars.  There are new character lines, and entire movies in an world of LEGO  There is LEGOland.

The LEGO brick may be the most  widely known -  and loved - toy in the world.  It is certainly the backbone of one the largest toy companies in the world.  The "binding brick" has become synonymous with the company itself.  I say "LEGO", you see a picture of the brick in your minds eye.

It's another example of the idea put forth in so many other disciplines and arts: that any given idea grow in value over time; that a good idea is worthy of refinement and development.   This doesn't mean EVERY idea is a good idea. It does mean that even simple ideas can have their value compound the way interest compounds on an investment.

When the time is right, those ideas can offer tremendous returns.  Just think about that little brick.

Wowed by Posterous

Posterous gets my award for the most easy and enjoyable use of Web based software - at least that I have seen.  Easy,  enjoyable, fast.  

Missing:  the ability present in some blogging platforms  to control the information architecture/organization and layout.   That said, the site is so well designed, and allows me to be so productive, that I don't mind right now. 

I liked Wordpress and Blogger for their administrative features.  I liked Mephisto for a variety of reasons....but this is the fastest I have assembled content, and the design in Posterous' default theme thumps the feature richness in other platforms.  In short, the end result just looks better to me.

List of Fun Kid Activities

My good friend Paul Schweizer sent me this list of activities for kids in Dallas.  I added a few touches, but the list is mostly Paul's.  The list is for brainstorming - but feel free to suggest descriptions and links for each activity.

Hiking on Trinity River
Biking and jogging at White Rock Lake
Tee Pee Hill Playground
Flag Pole Hill Playground
Merriman Park Playground
Pioneer Plaza
SPCA
Dallas Zoo
Fort Worth Zoo
Fort Worth Water Gardens
Science Place/Planetarium
Chuck E. Cheese / CiCi’s Pizza
Half Price Books flagship store
The airport
Dallas Nature Center
Dallas Arboretum (especially the toad fountains)
Feeding ducks at White Rock Lake (especially "sunset bay")
DART trains and buses
Lake Highlands North/Skyline Creek
White Rock Creek Greenbelt
NorthPark Mall (fountains, turtles, and ducks)
Dallas Museum of Art
The Nasher Sculpture Center
Dallas Public Library
Fairview Farms
Reunion Tower
Frontiers of Flight Museum
McDonald Observatory
Dallas World Aquarium
Dallas Museum of Science and Natural History
Dallas Children’s Museum
Dallas Recreation Centers
Train Museum at Fair Park / Frisco
Turner Falls (Davis, Oklahoma – visit website)
Big Bend
Main Event (3941 Central Expwy, Plano)
Dave & Busters
Medieval Times

Blast from a musical (1995) past

(download)
Wow: this project is 15 years old.  

At some point I need to get a DAT player to get the digital version. For now, this mp3 file is from something we used to use in the 1990's called a "cassette tape".

 

Recorded by Shawn Koonce, I think part of it was mixed by Charles Reeves aka Chicky (now in NYC somehwere?). Made possible thanks to Harold aka DJ Phyfteen (sp?) on turntables, Luis Guerra on bass , Jay Dennis and Bavu Blakes rapping, myself on keys, drums and vocals.    At various times I worked on this or played gigs with Edwin Livingston, Dr. James Polk , John Thomasson, Robert 'Dugans' Martinez, Fredrick Sanders, Arlington Jones, DJ Baby G, Carl Settles and Ephraim Owens all of whom influenced me in this time period.

The bass line was inspired by Ron Carter's work with a Tribe Called Quest on their album The Low End Theory and all the jazz and funk improvised with the afore mentioned players in the early and mid 90's.

It crazy to think of all the work this took due to the limitations of technology at the time - heck  original version was done on 2 inch tape.

 

Collaboration Caught In the Wild: Whitley, Lanois and Blade

Daniel Lanois has had a hand in many recordings that were favorites when I was coming up.  He has been called on by artists like Bob Dylan,  U2, Peter Gabriel and a host of others.    Brian Blade seems to be intent on reminding about  everything I love about the drumset - he is one of my favorite drummers. This lady Trixie is new to  me.  

In any case, this creative process is fun to watch.  It offers insights into the recording process of one of the arts most prolific and respected producers.  He is working like a conductor and providing an additional set of ears and energy.  It reminds me: while the musicians here are top notch in their skill sets, recording, producing a record is its own set of skills involving management, leadership and creativity in addition to the various technical skills required.   It also reminds me that even the best stand to gain when interacting with other equally committed individuals.  Makes me miss music recording. Hope you enjoy.