Josh Kaufman specializes in teaching people from all walks of life how to master
practical knowledge and skills. In his 20-minute TEDx Talk, he shares how having his
first child inspired him to approach learning in a whole new way. He also reveals the four steps to learning any new skill, fast.
Here's a breakdown of his four steps (as found via Lifehacker):
Deconstruct the skill:
It starts with breaking down the task in several parts and find the most important things to practice
first. If you were learning to play a musical instrument, for example,
knowing just a few chords gives you access to tons of songs. If you want
to learn a new language, learn the most common 2,000 words and you'll have 80% text coverage.
Lern enough to self-correct: Use reference materials to learn enough that you know when you make a mistake so you can correct yourself.
Remove barriers to learning: Identify and remove anything that distracts you from focusing on the skill you want to learn.
This 6-piece series on YouTube shows you everything you need to know about Whiskey. The history, how it's made, common terms explained and much more. A must-watch for every beginner, but nonetheless very interestingfor everyone else.
One of the few watches that where introduced during this years Baselworld and that I really liked is the Tudor Heritage Chrono Blue (Ref. 70330B). It is heavily inspired by the iconic 1973 Tudor "Montecarlo" (Ref. 7169) and cites many details of its predecessor.
Tudor Heritage Chrono Blue with Nylon strap and steel bracelet - (c) Tudor
I like both versions with steel bracelet or with a nylon strap in blue, grey and orange - colors that match the watchface and give a hint of mediterranean flair.
Nonetheless it isn't just another version of the Heritage line introduce by Tudor in 2010 (which is very successful so far). This is a completely new watch by itself. It differs from the other Heritage models especially in the hour markers filled with SuperLuminova, the form of the hands and the bi-directional bezel.
Tudor Heritage Chrono Blue - SuperLuminova - (c) Tudor
The dial sports two counters 3 and 9 o’clock for the small seconds hand and for a
45-minute counter.
The sapphire crystal keeps a self-winding mechanical
ETA2892 movement with a Dubois-Dépraz-module and 42-hour power reserve. The bezel has a blue aluminium finish, while crown
and pushers are knurled with a chrome finish. Additionally the crown features a blue lacquered shield.
(c) Tudor
It comes with a retail price of 4'200 CHF / 3.480 EUR / 4,350 USD.
This comes in perfect timing with the return of Tudor to the US market in September 2013. It should be available in
both select Rolex boutiques as well as third-party watch retailers.
Technical specifications:
Reference: 70330B
Movement: ETA 2892 automatic movement with Dubois-Dépraz chronograph module, 55 jewels, 28,800 beats/hour
Case: Stainless steel, 42mm diameter with polished and satin finish, screw-down crown with triple waterproofness system, screw-down pushers at 2 and 4 o’clock
Bracelet: Multicolor fabric strap (blue, grey, orange) and steel bracelet with folding clasp
Bezel: Bidirectional rotatable with 12-hour grades (48 positions) to be used for second time-zone display, blue aluminium finish
Dial: Small seconds hand at 3 o’clock, date at 6 o’clock, 45-minute counter at 9 o’clock
The Glashütte Original Sixties Square Chronograph is a modern reiteration of a classic watch that I can well imagine on the wrist of a certain group of men. But that's just my opinion. What do you think? Would a modern times Mad Man wear this watch?
Glashütte Original Sixties Square Chronograph (Ref. 39-34-02-32-04)
The watch is from the Glashütte Original 20th Century Vintage line and should fit well with any dress.
The list price is US$ 9,300, but I found several offers online, both new and used, starting at as low as US$ 7,000 / 5.300 EUR.
Specifications
Reference: 1-39-34-02-32-04
Caliber: 39-34, Automatic movement
Functions: Hour and minute, small second (off-centre), chronograph with stop second, 30 minutes display
Case: Stainless steel, sapphire crystals on top and bottom, screwed case back, waterproof up to 3 bar
Measurements: 41.35 mm × 41.35 mm, height: 12.6 mm
Dial: Dial galvanized black, domed dial, luminous hour dots, hands made of rose gold inlaid with Super-LumiNova
Strap: Louisiana Alligator leather strap with buckle made of stainless steel
You probably don't know my name, but I bet you know at least one of my songs.
It is Nile Rodgers, the man behind Chic and many other great productions, who introduces himself in the BBC documentary "The Hitmaker". And from there it just goes off. Watch the fascinating story of his life, hilarious background stories of some of the best selling records of all time and the tragedy of the last concert with his legendary partner Bernard Edwards.
Nile was the guitar player of Bernard and Bernard was the bass player of Nile. And both together changed the world of music a few times over the course of about 20 years. Bernard Edwards died on April 18th 1996 in Tokyo after a fabulous comeback concert with Chic.
This year Nile Rodgers was named JT Superproducer of the Year in Japan and was invited to perform at The Budokan. Just before the concert in Tokyo, Edwards fell ill and was advised to not polay the concert and go to a hospital immediately. But despite Rodgers' insistence, he refused to cancel the gig. He managed to perform a great gig, but had to be helped at times.
After the concert he retired to his hotel room where he was later found dead by Rodgers. Bernard died of pneomonia.
There are more stories to be told by Nile Rodgers. As I said, really hilarious stuff.
Here are the liner notes to the BBC documentary from YouTube
Nile Rodgers has sold over 100 million records. He helped define the sound of the '70s, as disco took the world by storm. Nile and musical partner Bernard Edwards captured the essence of New York's iconic Studio 54 creating hits like Dance Dance Dance, Le Freak and Good Times for Chic and We Are Family and Lost In Music for struggling vocal group Sister Sledge. But the music that had made Chic would also break them, thanks to the 'Disco Sucks' backlash. What could have been the end for Nile Rodgers would actually be a new beginning as a producer, helping create some of the biggest hits of the 80s for the likes of Diana Ross, David Bowie, Madonna and Duran Duran.
In this profile documentary, the ever-charismatic Rodgers contributes an engaging and often frank interview to tell the tale of how, born to Beatnik, heroin-addict parents in New York, he picked up a guitar as a teenager and embarked on a journey to learn his craft as a musician, before becoming one of disco's most successful artists
In the '70s and '80s he lived the party lifestyle thanks to his success with Chic and as one of the music industry's hottest producers. Drugs and alcohol would become part of everyday life for Nile, contributing in part to the break up of Chic in the early '80s. The band would reform in the mid '90s, but their return was quickly marked by tragedy with the death of Nile's long-time friend and musical partner, Bernard Edwards in 1996.
Then in 2010 Nile was diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of prostate cancer, which last year he announced he had beaten. In spite of, or perhaps because of this, Nile's talent and ambition remains undimmed, deservedly earning himself the title of hardest-working man in pop, with Chic's seemingly inexhaustible live performance schedule.
Nile Rodgers: The Hitmaker recounts a captivating and moving story of a man who has created some of the most sparkling and ebullient pop music ever recorded.
Contributors include: Nile Rodgers' fellow Chic members, singers Norma Jean, Alfa Anderson and Fonzi Thornton and keyboard player Rob Sabino, as well as recording engineers Bob Clearmountain and Robert Drake.
Other artists Nile has worked with talk passionately about his talents, including Sister Sledge's Kathy Sledge, Bryan Ferry, Steve Winwood, Johnny Marr, La Roux's Elly Jackson, Valerie Simpson, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein from Blondie and Duran Duran's John Taylor.
His latest collaboration happens to be the upcoming and highly anticipated album of Daft Punk.
If you're more into books, I can also strongly recommend his autobiography Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco and Destiny.
And finally, take your time to watch a full Chic concert on YouTube
Mayra Magalhães designed a nice infographic "College Students' Guide to Boozing" that breaks drinks down by category (fermented, mixed, distilled) and shows additional infos like flavor and the year the drinks were invented. The percentage of alcohol steps in for atomic weight.
This couldbe useful if you're out of college, too.
Charlie Bamforth, the head of Malting and Brewing Science at UC Davis, explains the basics of beer-making and reveals how to pick the freshest pint when you're at a pub. He lifts some of the mysteries (for outsiders) involved with the process of brewing beer.
Of course it's more interesting if you're completely new to brewing beer, but it sums up the whole thing rather nicely.
