We are on the brink of unimaginable technological change. The predictable acceleration of hardware, connectivity and sensors coupled with an unforeseen plethora of new business models and the need to tackle problems on a global scale leaves me optimistic about the coming decades.—M. Zappa

You might want to sit down for this one.

Technology. There is no longer a clear division of where it begins and where it ends. It’s a cloud, a limb, it’s in your dreams. Technology has become all-pervasive, with countless applications in as many industries. So where are we headed? What will be the smartphone of 2040?

Michell Zappa has created an interactive table that maps out existing technologies and pairs them with emerging trends in an attempt to predict where and what we’ll be doing in the coming decades*.

So take a seat and get ready for the ride.

*I’m just excited to finally get my teleporter!

Smiling is powerful indeed. Have you ever noticed the difference in how you feel about a stranger pre and post smile? There’s a woman at my gym who always has a stern look on her face. I had pegged her as a mean, most likely unlikable person. But one day our eyes met and she smiled—and instantly, my whole impression of her changed. She was suddenly this different, warm, nice person. All because of a smile.

According to a recent study at Princeton University, smiling can also make you appear more competent, likable, and courteous.

And if that’s not enough, smiling makes you healthier and happier (without the calories* )

So smile already and spread the joy! Because when you smile, you might be firing another’s mirror neurons and making them smile despite themselves.

 *One smile can stimulate the brain as much as 2000 bars of dark chocolate!

The dragon is the most auspicious and powerful of the 12 signs of the zodiac, one associated with high energy and prosperity. It’s also the only mythical creature in the Chinese astrological stable that includes horses, rats and pigs. This year is considered especially auspicious because it is the year of the water dragon, something that happens once every 60 years.

Year of the dragon brings promise of change – Canada, CBC News

According to my sources*, it will be a year of change—for the better.

The characteristics for someone born in the Year of the Dragon include: magnanimous, stately, vigorous, strong, self-assured, proud, noble, direct, dignified, eccentric, intellectual, fiery, passionate, decisive, pioneering, artistic, generous, and loyal. Flip side: tactless, arrogant, imperious, tyrannical, demanding, intolerant, dogmatic, violent, impetuous, and brash.

I’m not sure how those traits translate to the year but my hope is we see the strength and passion of this sign manifest itself positively and that we have the courage to change for the better.

Gung Hay Fat Choy/Gong Xi Fa Ca!

I was born in the year of the monkey**. What year were you born in?

*Sources:
Changes In The Dragon Year
Chinese Zodiac

**Inventor, motivator, improviser, quick-witted, inquisitive, flexible, innovative, problem solver, self-assured, sociable, artistic, polite, dignified, competitive, objective, factual. Can be egotistical, vain, arrogant, selfish, reckless, snobbish, deceptive, manipulative, cunning, jealous, suspicious, stubborn.

I had the good fortune to meet Chade-Meng Tan (otherwise known as the Jolly Good Fellow) at the Wisdom 2.0 Conference two years ago. He is one of those people that exudes happiness, good will, and humor. I’d go so far as to say he is walking light.

He makes you believe that joy and world peace are possible.

In this TED talk, Chade-Meng speaks to the benefits of compassion — not just of the receiver, but the giver, the world, and the bottom line.

At last.
Brilliant strong woman. Rest in peace.

Did you ever think you’d be carrying your doctor around in your pocket? No. Nor did I. But without knowing it, our cellphones have quietly become a device that holds so much potential that they very well may be your next primary care physician.

As more and more technologies are embedded in them, innovators worldwide are finding ways to use them in life-changing ways.

mHealth is the term used when referring to this exploding area where tech meets science. Not only is it convenient for the urbanites amongst us (think tracking your diet or calories burned during your last workout), but it’s also enabling access to much needed diagnostics and healthcare in developing countries where access was formerly prohibitive if not nonexistent.

The field has so many far-reaching implications and brings together a myriad of disciplines—so much so that I couldn’t begin to explain them all properly. Suffice it say — it’s exciting. Very exciting.

Here are just a few links to get you started:
Fast Company: As Smartphones Get Smarter, You May Get Healthier: How mHealth Can Bring Cheaper Health Care To All

FastCoExist: The Future of Digital Health Is Lurking In San Francisco’s Chinatown

Forbes: Healthcare Delivers Technical Knockout at CES

TechCrunch: Mobile Technology Is Transforming The Health Industry, But to What Extent?

MobiHealthNews: Each Month 16.9M Access Health Info Via Mobiles

Mashable: 5 Useful iPad Apps for Doctors, Patients, and Students

TechCrunch: Do We Need Doctors Or Algorithms

Not to mention the Health Innovation Summit I have the luck to be attending tomorrow!

I’ve often thought it would be helpful if, when we’re born, we were bequeathed a manual on how best to live—psychologically and physically.

I mean, it’s not like I was the first baby to struggle through childhood, stomp through my teenage years, skip through my twenties, and, well, you get the idea.

So here I am at 43 and looking back, it just seems like certain knowledge could have changed the trajectory of my life infusing it with things I missed the boat on or wish I had known — at the very least, improving my dental health

Reading the article below made me think of this oft-thought of and desired guide.

These elders have some good advice. Listen to the old folks. They’re as close to a “how-to” as we’re gonna get.

Elderly ‘Experts’ Share Life Advice in Cornell Project – NYTimes.com.

Earlier this week, I found my self obsessing over Dick and Jane (and Spot) — the books I learned to read from.

I moved around alot as a kid and couldn’t remember if these were American-based or England-based. It’s all a bit of a mish-mash. But a quick search and asking a colleague verified Dick and Jane were most certainly all-american.

It’s odd not recollecting much of my childhood but having such a strong memory of these books. The fonts*, the  illustrations, the utter simplicity of prose.

I think nostalgia is inherently “feel good”. One is nostalgic for the things in the past that bring to mind fond memories and associations. So today, thanks to Andrew B. Myers and his Nostalgic photography!

*Dick and Jane used Century and Melior

Today I am grateful for Whole Foods (yes, I’m sorry) Full Fat Chicken and Ginormous Noodle Soup!

This stuff is my ultimate weapon whenever I feel a cold coming on—and lord knows, I’m not letting a stupid cold mess with my New Year’s Eve!

In addition to the above elixir, my arsenal includes a dash of yin chiao (preferably Dr. Shen’s), a heaping helping of elderberry lozenges (must be Natures Way Sambucus Black Elderberry Lozenges), and the requisite packet of Emergency-C or tab of Airborne (grapefruit is the superior flavor IMO).

And if all this fails, I turn towards the medicinal properties of whisky (actually, I prefer bourbon) and make up a reparative hot toddy (or two)!

Need I say I am grateful to have access to all these remedies? (I am).

Today is simple and sweet—I am SO grateful for my camera, which I inadvertently poured water all over and let soak for ~20 minutes (don’t ask) and has come back to life!

I am grateful for my knowledgeable friends who provided a range of options from putting it in the oven at 200º to using a hair dryer to those little silica packets that come with a new pair of shoes and finally, the option I tried: burying my camera in a bowl of rice for three days. And it worked!

My camera has become a constant companion of mine. Last year I decided I wanted to take a picture a day. At that time, I had a trusty Canon SD800 which came with me everywhere. I did not leave home without it. I became addicted to documenting little things I saw on walks, on the train, in my backyard. It was as if I was giving voice to the world I saw.

As I became more and more aware of my surroundings, I grew to notice and appreciate street art —on sidewalks, derelict buildings, public transportation, everywhere. Walks became scavenger hunts. What would I find? What new piece of art would show up? It led me through parts of San Francisco I probably never would have gone to otherwise.

#restartfail

Then, one fateful day, after much use and abuse, my Canon SD800 died (see at left).

Contrary to this post, it’s replacement, the S95 has been much more well looked after. It hasn’t been used as much which is a shame but it’s a wonderful camera—and I still don’t leave home without it.

Thank you good luck, good fortune, good friends, and great camera (and thank you to the world seen and unseen, to everything that allows itself to be captured and also to those shots that just can’t be caught “on film”. It’s been living with a camera that has helped me to see more.)