Google Bones XRay

Today's Google Doodle celebrated 115th birthday of the Xray, by posting a key to seeing the bones.

How about an Xray of Google bones, showing the key to the company's fabulous success?

My friend John forward this timely email, see below.

ABZ Tip:
It's time to Xray of the bones of your company or your personal life.

Subject: Fw: Inside Google

Ever want to take a look inside Google???     Google Solar  Array Mountain View, California  Today, Google employs 20,223 people around the world, receiving a resume every 25 seconds from eager job-seekers, hiring an average of nine new employees a day.  A full-size replica of Virgin Atlantic's Spaceship One (space tourist vehicle) hangs in the reception area. Exercise  To work off the pounds, and the stress . . .  Google has its own state-of-the-art gym . . . offering weight-training and a host of exercise machines, rowing machines, lockers and shower rooms, and two swim- in-place wave pools.  Other perks include free haircuts, dry cleaning and laundry, child care, car services, chiropractors and five onsite doctors available for employee check- ups; all free of charge.  Perhaps the most unusual bonus of all... employees can bring their dogs to work with them and keep the four-legged canine in their offices.  We already know that working for Google has certain advantages, but, believe me, this giant of a search engine takes the welfare of its employees seriously as shown by this decompression (stress) capsule that is impermeable to sound and light.... Stress capsule  Moving around the complex:  A slide allows quick access from different floors... There are also poles available.... they are similar to the ones used in fire stations.  Food  Employees can eat all they want for free from a vast choice of food and drink, whipped up by in-house chefs.  Typical Google Lunch  Cookie set-up  Work Station:  Each employee has at least two large screens.  There are 4-6 'Zooglers' per office.  Innovation:  Large boards are available just about everywhere because 'ideas don't always come when seated in the office'says one of Google's managers.  Leisure.  Pool tables, video games, etc. are available in many areas.  Communication.  On each floor, there are private cabin areas where employees attend to personal affairs.  Tech Stop  Having trouble with your computer?   No problem... Bring it to this area where drinks are available while it is being fixed...  Health:  Professional massage therapists are available. Rest ....  View relaxing aquariums on massage chairs that you control .... Ambiance.  There are many books in this library...even some about programming!  I would LOVE time out in this room!!   WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT GOOGLE NOW?

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Wish You Were There

Here's a quick recap of one of my program at the 56th CPSI*.

At the Opening General Session, 400+ attendees participated in a real team building. They innovated an ancient art, created a contemporary suminagashi piece as a group and changed the perception of their ability to think differently.

At the end of the session, each and everyone of the 400+ was transformed as an artist, even for a short brief moment. Many told me later that it was a quick change that would last for a long time.

Here is an option for team building and learning exercise for a conference. They don't have to climb a mountain, build a house or construct a bridge. They can learn this ancient practice and apply their learning to both work and personal life.

Warning: Don't try this at your own conference WITHOUT proper supervision !!!

Be sure you watch all the way till the very last frame :-)
You never know what effect you might have caused in this world.

* CPSI stands for Creative Problem Solving Institute - Annual International Creativity Conference took place usually in June. It is organized by the Creative Education Foundation.

What Do You Do Differently?

Have you seen the conference attendees walked away from a conference and remember very little of what they have seen or heard? After spending all that time, money and energy, getting ready, getting there and getting back, how could they have little memory of what they learned?

Educators and researchers now find out that audience engagement is the key. Then again, how do you assure that they have the anchor to trigger the memory? How do you install the common element that will help them remember for a long time?

Have them do something different.
To think differently, do something different.
To get a different result, do something different.
That's just the law of physics.

This trailer tells you what I do differently as a conference speaker. My interactive learning program, Painting On Water™ is also known as a whole brain learning activity. It combines art and science, with the culture from the East and the West. It whet the attendee's learning appetite.

Click here to watch an interview with Wild Chicago.

ABZee Tips: To think differently, do something different.

Part 3: About What I Do
(To be continued)

Interviewed by Wild Chicago at Segami Studios.

Suminagashi Painting On Water™

20 some years ago, there was hardly any information available about Suminagashi. Now there are lots of websites about this topic. It is great to see that many people start to practice this nearly lost art.

Some of them had lifted off information that I had in my old website, many years ago. One of these days, I will pull them off the shelves again.

Since I could not find a teacher for the traditional suminagashi for a long time, I utilized what I knew and learned from my physics and fluid mechanics. As a result, my own version is different from the traditional one. My philosophy is also very unconventional.

Later on, I was confronted by some traditional practitioner that I have been doing this all wrong. That really did not bother me, since I am trained as an engineer. And true to science, I conducted my own experiments and testings. I push the envelopes, from black and white to color, from free flow to control.

Painting On Water™ is an exciting process to generate the buzz and let the creativity flow. Once in your life time, you ought to experience the energy and thrill in the room when hundreds or thousands of people are Painting on Water™.

In the next few days, I will post one excerpt per day. Double click the video will take you to YouTube directly.

Part 2: About Suminagashi
 (To be continued)

ABZee Tip: When people say you are doing something wrong, it's only because they were standing in the wrong place.

Are you looking for a memorable and unique whole brain experience for your conference?

Let's have a conversation to see if there is a fit. Please contact me at blog@AmyBasic.com or call +1(312) 953-6800.

To know more about my 20+ years as a fine art artist under the name of Amy Lee Segami, please go to Segami.com or Segami.poterous.com. I am in the process of consolidating the information. Please book mark and revisit again.

Google Lovable Trick or Treat

The task of search or research is not as scary as it used to be.
Thanks to google.

ABZee Tip: Make the business fun and enjoyable, even for the unpaid customers.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Google Lovable Trick or Treat

The task of search or research is not as scary as it used to be.
Thanks to google.

ABZee Tip: Make the business fun and enjoyable, even for the unpaid customers.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Painting On Water at Creativity Conference (Part 2 of 3)

Download now or watch on posterous

CPSI 1bMobile.m4v (20582 KB)

21 years ago when I was the lonely artist transforming Sumnagashi into a contemporary Painting on Water™. It is great to see many google listings these days.

Few people are aware of the connections between fluid mechanics and this art form. My clients who are engineers totally get the physics, yet they are amazed with the beauty of the images and the ability of their creativity. The right brains are thrilled to learn about the laws of physics. They walked away feeling smart and confident.

That is the best of both world. Get both brains for the prize of one program. Lately, I begin to believe that just might be my calling.

The above is part 2 of 3 excerpts. You might wish to click this link for better viewing experience.

(To be continued)

Painting On Water at Creativity Conference (Part 1 of 3)

Download now or watch on posterous

CPSI 1aMobile.m4v (6150 KB)

It's never be done before. Could you imagine 400+ people from 28 countries Painting On Water™ together?

We did it at the CPSI 2010, an International Creativity Conference, took place in Buffalo, New York. It was great fun being the guide, engineering the group chaos and orchestrating the team building process.

The above is part 1 of 3 excerpts. You might wish to click this link for better viewing experience.

(To be continued)

NSA-IL Home Coming

Not everyday you have all 8 Presidents of NSA-IL Chapter, both past and current, in one room.

What was the occasion? The first Home Coming Event.

And look at the Happy Home Coming Kind and Queen: Sue, who served the Illinois Chapter as Executive Director for many years, and Jerry, who had been a past president and board member for many terms.

With Maureen's leadership and a fleet of past presidential brains, NSA-Illinois Chapter, you rock.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

555

By now, you probably got the email about:

This OCT. has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays, all in 1 month. It happens once in 823 years.

Take that 5 and make it fine. Do something for 5 person for no reason.

Make a virtual introduction on line, write a recommendation, gift a compliment or buy a drink (coffee and tea counts). Make someone else's day a little special.

ABZee Tip: Be fine.

iPhone Square the Cash Flow

Technology empowered consumers. Here is a great way to get the cash flow going and the economy moving. Did the entire Craigslist community sign up yet?

To Square CEO Jack Dorsey and Square Chairman Jim McKelvey, I say thank you, guys. These little squares are like pebbles in the water. The ripple effect is huge.

Sign up and get your own.
https://squareup.com/

Getting started.
https://squareup.com/get-startedhttps://squareup.com/get-started

ABZee Tip: Be smart. Take payment thru your smart phone. Process smartly.

ABZ of Line2

When we find options in life, we have hope. I have been testing line2, now it is official.

David Progue reviews Line2

How To use Linve2 video
http://www.line2.com/how_it_works.aspx

iPad
http://www.line2.com/ipod_ipad.aspx

ABZee Tip: An iPhone with line2 makes a happier iPhonee.

NSA President Kristin Arnold coming to Chicago

Boring to Bravo: Proven Presentation Techniques to Engage, Involve,
and Inspire Your Audience

Details at NSA-IL.org

Attend this unique event with our National President and learn from
one of the best!
Kristin Arnold to present
Tue Oct. 5, 2010, 9:00 - 12:00 noon
Maggiano's Oak Brook
Breakfast buffet included Register

Meeting planners want professional speakers who involve audiences in
meaningful ways. Come discover a myriad of methods to engage and hold
your audience's attention during your keynote presentations. Kristin
will demonstrate different techniques as well as provide an in-depth
resource for you to inject more interaction in your speeches.
Discover a smorgasbord of engaging and interactive techniques to use
from the platform as a keynoter. Witness and participate in various
interactive methods. Walk away with a compendium of engaging and
interactive techniques.

Each participant will receive a customized handout and will have the
opportunity to purchase Kristin's new book, Boring to Bravo at the end
of her program.

NSA President Kristin Arnold coming to Chicago

Boring to Bravo: Proven Presentation Techniques to Engage, Involve,
and Inspire Your Audience

Details at NSA-IL.org

Attend this unique event with our National President and learn from
one of the best!
Kristin Arnold to present
Tue Oct. 5, 2010, 9:00 - 12:00 noon
Maggiano's Oak Brook
Breakfast buffet included Register

Meeting planners want professional speakers who involve audiences in
meaningful ways. Come discover a myriad of methods to engage and hold
your audience's attention during your keynote presentations. Kristin
will demonstrate different techniques as well as provide an in-depth
resource for you to inject more interaction in your speeches.
Discover a smorgasbord of engaging and interactive techniques to use
from the platform as a keynoter. Witness and participate in various
interactive methods. Walk away with a compendium of engaging and
interactive techniques.

Each participant will receive a customized handout and will have the
opportunity to purchase Kristin's new book, Boring to Bravo at the end
of her program.

Daniel Pink Motivation and Beyond

The world is about to change in a big way.

The brilliant author, Daniel Pink, has found a way to reach the rest of the population about Motivation in this 11 minutes YouTube video,.

Sure the video depicts the concept of motivation from his book. Then again, look beyond the surface and read the comments. Not only does he understand how we think and how we work, he is tapping into how we learn: multi-sensory learning. He is extending his work, one layer upon another, all interrelated and connected.

Comics and Manga artists stand by your phone, or rather, sit by your laptop or hold your iPad and be ready. The world just might beat a path to your door or email box. Your service of rending concepts just got another big stamp of approval. Google does it. United does it. Now Dan Pink does it.

You have seen it in the bathrooms and playrooms. When will the classrooms and boardrooms do it?

ABZee Tip: Words and pictures together worth a trillion.

Google Plays

How many companies out there are practicing what google knows.

Not the trade secrets, not the propitiatory know hows. But the basic cultural practice that most professionals are aware of, by now. To be playful at work. Yet how many work place would dare to implement that concept?
Is it because of the fear of getting out of control? Are they afraid to let go?

ABZee Tip: Kids play grown ups. Grown ups can play kids, at times.

21 Days 21 Pages

21 days ago, I started posting my art story book, Forever Dragon, one page per day on the blog. I am here to report that I have managed to keep this up, and have every intention to continue till the story is completed.

The readership has slowly increased. Thank you to those who check in.

ABZee Tips: One a day is as easy as ABZ. (That's right ABZ, not ABC)

Share Share Google Birthday Presence

It's Google's 12th birthday. What an extraordinary gift to the rest of us.

Happy Birthday and a Big Share Share* to the Google Guys, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and all those who made Google possible.

On my birthdays, I thank my parents for the gift of life, mind and spirit. There was never any shower of gifts or birthday presents. It was always about the presence. For many years, it was only the presence of the voice.

ABZee Tip: Your presence is the present to those around you, at work and at home.

"Share Share" means Thank You in Mandarin Chinese, the official spoken language in China. Mandarin is spoken by most people from the Northern part of China, such as Beijing & Shanghai. Most foreigns learn to speak Mandarin these days. While as Cantonese is the language spoken by the people from the Southern part, such as Hong Kong, Guangzhou and in most Chinatowns across USA.

A Feast For the Mind: Moon Banquet

I have been posting a few moon pieces on my artist site, for the book, Forever Dragon.

With the Moon Festival one week from today, I am inspired to do a cultural learning workshop/Network event. Below is the description. Hope you can join me.

Registration will be closed on Sat, Sept 18 at noon. Click here to reserve your space now.

= = =

A Feast For the Mind

A 10-course 

Chinese Banquet to Celebrate the Full Moon Festival, Learn Chinese culture, phrases and Network with others who have similar interest in Chinese.

= = =

Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is on Sept 22, 2010, i.e. The 15th of the eight month in the lunar calendar. Sometimes refer to as the Moon Festival.

According to the accumulative observation from the past 5,000 years, on that day, the moon will be at her fullest and brightest of the entire year, aka Harvest Moon.

Although you can find tons of information on the internet, none will give you the insights that I can offer. No where else can you get the same Segami interpretation, from both Chinese and American view point.

Going to China?

Doing Business with China?

In contact with someone from China?

• Learn more about the most colorful festival of all: blending the legend and fairy tales with historical facts.

• Enjoy a sumptuous banquet with a quick course on the etiquette of attending a Chinese banquet.

• An "Once In A Blue Moon" occasion because yours truly will be in Chicago.

• It's reunion time with some of you. It's retouch time for the new acquittance. And it is also open to the general public to connect others with similar interest.

• To top the special occasion, I am prepared to do a demonstration of the Painting On Water™ for the early arrival, at 4:38 pm. http://PaintingOnWater.posterous.com/

• Find out what is the relationship between this festival and the book, Forever Dragon. It's being released one page per day, http://segami.posterous.com/

Bring your family (8 years old+) and colleagues to attend this fun and informative event. Your knowledge of the Chinese culture and etiquette will be rounded by the end of the evening.

Dinner will be served at 5:02pm. 

Public parking is available on the same side of the street, just a block up north.

See you in the moon light.

Registration will be closed on Sat, Sept 18 at noon. Click here to reserve your space now.

Image Title: Once In The Blue Moon, by Amy Lee Segami

iPad apps tester, Real or Not?

A few months ago, in a hot smoggy sticky summer night, during my weakest moment, I did something I truly regret to these day.

I am truly embarrassed about this. For those who received the email because of me, please ignore it. And I beg your forgiveness.

I signed up to see what it was all about: iPad Apps Tester. Now they garbed a hold of my email list and have been send email to others, a few at a time.

If anyone who knows how to stop this, I would appreciate to know.

ABZee tip:
Do not send any emails in the hot smoggy sticky summer night(s).

Posterous as easy as ABZ

Posterous.com reminds me of Google

Easy to use
Friendly feel
Efficient
Smart design
Sensible FAQ
Multiple applications
Helpful tech support thru email, with great can-do attitute

The open white space on the blog makes it easier to read
Better for your eyes and your brain

Posterous.com
Go ahead and read about the co-founders, all smart and real people
Sachin just got married 3 days ago in Buffalo, New York.
Congratulations. Reminds me of young Sista.

Can't help it. As complicate as life is,
I always look out for things that are as easy as ABZee.
(get it? Like ABC?)

Yes, they fit the Art of Being Zee that I often talk about.

Posterous guys and gals,
Here is to you all.
Many more will find their way to you, soon.
Keep up with the good work. Be ready.

1st Release Forever Dragon 久九龍

This is the cover page Forever Dragon. A book that I have been working on for 9 years.

It's an artistic version of a legend. Many participants and audience have heard various versions through the years. Some saw the slide shows accompanied with music, whereas most have heard me "performed" the piece.

Today I decided to dust off the final draft copy from last year, Sept 9, 2009, time stamped at 9 pm, see attached pdf. Form today forward, I am going to release the book at the my artist Segami Blog one page at a time, at 9 pm CST, till it is done.

Why today? Duah. It's September 9th.

Why at 9 pm? To be sure that I am able to deliver. More later about the number 9.

Why did it take me a year? That's a longer answer. Shortly after I completed the draft last year, my husband was diagontic with colon cancer. He then required several surgeries done. Thanks to great doctors and concerning family members, with lot prayers and good thoughts, he has recovered. New and improved. Back to his busy self: inventing and investigating important technical issues, all over again.

Interruption like this in life was distracting. I regroup by revisiting my list.

What system do you have to bring you back on track?

Get Google Number ASAP

If I were to design a perfect phone system, google voice + google number will be it.

Choose your own google number now. People are garbing these number extremely fast.

1. Sign in you gmail account
2. Open another new tab or a new page from your brower
3. On this new browser, in the address bar, type in
Google.com/voice
4. Follow the procedures to get your own google number
5. Say thank you to google and the universe

Post Biz-Bash Poster

Current NSA-IL President, Maureen O'Brien, created an opportunity for National Speakers Association, Illinois Chapter to have a presence at Biz-Bash Chicago.

Maureen and all the members who worked on this project inspired me for this piece. Together, we do make a colorful picture and an impact. 

Bravo, Zulu. Be part of the team,  http://www.nsa-il.org/

Memory Lady at Maxim's

Judy is known as the Memory Lady in Chicago. With her charm and creativity, she delights the audience while teaching a much needed soft skill: to improve our memory. And who doesn't need it these days with so much going on?

This will take place on Tue, Aug 10, 3 pm at Chicago's very own Maxim's The Nancy Goldberg International Center, at 24 E. Goethe Street. Make your reservation now at 312-742-8497.

For $25, you get the high tea and a presentation. It will be an unforgettable event. Her book, Where Are My Keys? is a great gift item. MemoryLady.com/

July 4th Sunrise Gathering

On the cold snowy Feb 27, 1990, I swore in for my American citizenship in downtown Chicago. It was the happiest day of my life. There was a big celebration at my place that evening. Everyone I knew was invited. The apartment was packed.

I kept that tradition for almost 5 years. Then I realized that the Chicago snow in February was getting to be too much.

One of my goal at that time was to get up early enough to watch the sunrise. Back then, the only way I could be sure to watch the sunrise was by staying up all night. I could never get up early enough. So I moved the celebration to the beach, at the sunrise on the 4th of July.

Is accountability the mother of change? Yes, I now able to get up early, whenever it is necessary.

In the early days, I would have champagne, lox and bagels, the whole nine yard. Folks told me they lived by the lake for years, 20 or even 40 years, and that was the only time they came over to the beach to watch the sunrise with the group.

Many had biked over, some drove for hours to get there. The best part was to stand in front of the water and watch the first ray beam up. Of course, I just might retell the story of what the sunrise meant to me, for the nth time.

In order to get a few extra hours of sleep one year due to jet lag, I switched to a Dimsum brunch in stead of preparing breakfast at the beach. That works better for a lot of late raisers.

Do you have a sunrise story to share?

Using Google Site

Working on a project with a team who are not familiar with google site, I was asked to outline the Basic steps to get start.

Google site is a collaborative website, much like a wiki page. Invited members can make entries and read up on the latest info. For a special project, the site seres a central depository of info and facts, so that we don't have to hunt for the info.

1. Sign In
If you already have a gmail account, click here to sign in your own gmail account
If not, click here to create a new free 7G account. You will thank me later.

2. The team leader will send you an email, inviting you to view or collaborate on the site. Click that invitation link to go to the site directly.

3. Once you are on the site, choose the navigation bar on the left hand side to view various page

4. If you have the editing privileged, you can click the Edit button on upper right hand corner to make your own entries

5. Hit Save at the upper right hand corner when done. The info you enter will be published and shared by your team.

6. When post questions or notes, please identify yourself at the end of the note.
e.g. This is a very efficient way to track project with a team - Amy


Click here for more help on Google Site.

Happy Collaboration.

Bravo CPSI 2010

Based on the unofficial unscientific poll, many agreed that CPSI 2010 was one of the best conferences that they have attended. It takes a village to put an outstanding conference.

First, the CEO, Victoria Cliche and the board had a great vision to do something different this year. They also put together a dream team to work with. The meeting planner, Lisa Karlin, was grounded, cool and solid as a boulder, even her physical size is as petite as a pebble. The staff members at CPSI were all angles for the speakers. They were full of energy and operated with positive attitude. Things got done in lightening speed. Jessica, Shane, Jonathan, Dave, Valarie, Mermaid and Emily, thank you, thank you all. The staffs at Adam's Mark for the convention were remarkable as well.

Many of the consultants are bringing the CPSI-way back to their organizations.

As Bill Olsen, retired Navy Commender, taught me to say: Bravo Zulu. Well done, CPSI team.

On the down side, my SD card in my Canon mysteriously lost half of the photo from the convention. Spent 3 days on data recovery. Still hope that some magic will take place to recover some of the historic moment.

If any reader of this blog has any photo from the CPSI event, I would be very grateful to receive copies, Amy@PaintingOnWater.com. Thanks.

Post CPSI 2010

Back from Buffalo, New York after attending the 56th CPSI, also known as the world's oldest creativity conference, as in the longest running annual event.

Folks at CPSI pride themselves on the "How To" of the innovation. If you missed it, it was a very different kind of conference. Below is my brief recap of the opening session in which I was one of the speakers.

The General Opening Session started with different twist. The Master of Creative Ceremony, Bill Olsen, CPF, did not say a word for the first 5 minutes. Yet it took him 2 seconds to engage everyone in the audience. A master of interactive facilitator, he paced and led the audience from zero to a 100% participation. His Z2P workshop teaches you how to do that.

Tony Baxter, the Imagineer from Disney, who designed many of the famous rides, took us down the memory lane and inspired the future imagineers with great slides and stories. Here is a giant who spent a few days with the CPSI-lians and the youth program. Amazing. When chatting with him, I felt the spirits of my heroes talking: Walt Disney and Joseph Campbell.

Then, yours truly facilitated 350+ CPSI-lians to paint on water. People from 13 countries, all sorts of background, age group, knowledge banks and skill sets were able to come together on the same water level. The room was buzzing.

The participants became the artists who created. The participants became the innovators who collaborated as a team: strategized the action plan, brainstormed for the painting title, and journaled what they learned.

They actively engaged, played and learned. Many seasoned leaders commented positively on this proven learning model which I designed and developed. For more details, go the the blog on Painting On Water™.

Afterwards, the largest CPSI Suminagashi Exhibition was installed in the Hub. Truly a historical moment.

Reading this blog is free. Making plan to attend CPSI 2011 is smart. Learning the CPSI way and learning from the fellow CPSI-lians are priceless.
See you at CPSI 2011.

More about the CPSI 2010.
More about CPSI.
Click here to sign up for their newsletter.


P.S.
On the down side, the SD card of my Canon mysteriously lost half of the photo from the conference. Spent 3 days on data recovery. Still hoping that some magic will take place to recover some of the historic moment.

If any reader of this blog has any photo from CPSI, I would be very grateful to receive the copies, Amy@PaintingOnWater.com. Thanks.