Java Zen:Thinking Out Loud Monday, 2025.06.30 
Today, many critics lament the lack of innovation in our society and draw the
conclusion that more emphasis on teaching mathematics and science will lead to
innovation. That will probably fail. Innovation comes from repeated successes in
innovating. Innovation means trying ideas outside the accepted patterns. It
means providing the opportunity to fail as a learning experience rather than as
an embarrassment. ...the traditional school powerfully suppresses any tendency
toward being innovative. Both teachers and students are driven to conform.

		Tom Green, "Bright Boys: The Making of Information Technology"

2007.01.01

2007 – Let’s Light This Candle

For the past two years I’ve had my own private Festival of Lights on the eve’s of Christmas and the New Year. That makes it a tradition. And it’s one of my own making. Building a new life, it turns out, rests on paying attention to the little things and building from there. Here are a few pictures from last night’s festival. In all, there were 68 candles this year. There were more last year, but this year I hadn’t bothered to find lamp oil for the oil candles. The music for the hours leading up to midnight: Eva Cassidy and Keola Beamer.

Table Center Piece

The tree is lit by magical Festival of Lights fairies. Either that or electricity, I can never remember which.

Sideboard

Music and candlelight. Together, they make something much more than just the parts.

Music

Even the bearded lady shows well in candlelight. About as well as she does in bright sunlight.

Jasmine

The wine was a bottle of a favorite I’d been holding for a while – Turnbull Merlot, 2003. It was excellent.

Turnbull Merlot

All set, the evening was spent thinking, remembering, planning and writing. I’m ready for 2007.

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