New Blog Format (Plus Some Neat Stuff About Leonardo Da Vinci)

So, I deliberated today on my long-haul back from school about how I would like to do the new blog. So far, I'd already said that I'd try to learn one new skill set a year, go to one unusual event per month and do one out-of-routine thing a week. Well, I'd like to add these:

- One book on some subject I don't know about as suggested by readers per month
- One other random item, event or other thing as suggested by readers per month

So, bring on your suggestions, comment below. I'll select a winner randomly each month.

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And for everyone's entertainment: random shit about Leonardo Da Vinci, the original renaissance man.

• He lived for 67 years, an astoundingly long time during that time period.
• While he was an engineer, musician, scientist, sculptor, mathematician, anatomist and geologist (amongst other things), he is most renown as a painter and more specifically for the Mona Lisa.
• Only about 15 of his paintings still survive, mostly because he had a habit of burning things down or just not finishing them (note to self: don't burn things down).
  
• Despite the mystery surrounding him, Da Vinci saw the world as logical and not mysterious.
• In addition to all of his other random accomplishments, he also outlined basic sketches of a helicopter, solar panel and even plate tectonics.
• Dude's ridiculous in other words.
  

Switching from the Faulty First Project, To This New Second Project

A lot's happened since I first launched this blog about a year ago.

First, we moved to Wisconsin. Second, my wife got a job. Third, I got a new job. Instead of commuting two minutes to work, I now commute an hour. Win.

Anyway, my first project was well intentioned. However, it faced a few problems:

• I'm an ENFP. I basically jump from thing to thing without much cause. This doesn't bode well for a project.
• I took on more work at work.
• We moved.
• I went back to school.
  
• I suck.

Anyway, I've wanted to relaunch this blog for awhile. Make the goals less ambitious but nevertheless achievable. I had some inspiration along the way from these folks:

• Gretchen Rubin over at the Happiness Project. She has a book out right now on the same subject. I don't agree with everything she says, but she's on a generally good, inspiring course.
• Barbara Ehrenreicht, the author of Nickeled and Dimed, who just wrote another book called Bright-Sided. It discusses how positive thinking is destroying America. Is that counterproductive to this project? I don't think so. All it says is that we can't just do nothing and hope for a change. That's my message here too.
• My boss (believe it or not). I won't elaborate much more on that except to say that he's part of the inspiration.

So that being said, I also just bought a house which allows me more latitude to explore and do things. I'm pretty excited.

So, welcome back to the New Renaissance Man Project, here are my core principles:

• Explore - new town, new possibilities.
• Don't turn down invitations unless there's a legitimate reason to.
• If you don't know, ask.

That's pretty simple. No gimmicks, no smoke and mirrors. Here's the goals of my project:

• Learn at least one (1) new skill set per year.
• Go to at least one non-scheduled, unusual event per month. Define unusual as you'd like.
  
• Change up the daily routine at least once a week - drive a different route, do things in a different order than usual, etc.
• Have fun each day.
  
• Don't care about what people think.

That last one's tough - I work in a field where image is important. I also carefully watch my image, so I'm gonna have a tough time with that. I've been experimenting with it at work with some good success (and nobody's fired me yet). So I'm gonna keep going on that track.

Ultimately, this ain't gonna be easy. It's not supposed to be. But we're all damned to our limitations if we don't push back. So, here I am, pushing back, kicking ass and taking names.