Connective Intelligence

I have discovered that I have a special talent or strength if you want to call it that. I instinctively combine disparate ideas. I do this without thought and the result is sometimes hilarious, sometimes creative and sometimes profound. I usually utter the result of these disparate connections without thinking. So how do I exploit this talent to benefit everyone?
I have read that inspiration often comes from combining two disparate ideas. And In order to get that inspiration, you need to be reading outside your industry, meeting people outside your industry and thinking about what you learn. Expose yourself to something new, and create something new.
Are there techniques/ methodologies out there to use where seemingly disparate ideas/ topics can be submitted for my instinctive consideration to create something new? The question is whether disparate ideas can knowingly be channelled for consideration and will I be able to instinctively combine these channelled (forced) ideas into something new without forcing it?
How does innovation take place – which techniques are used to innovate?
How do I identify ideas/ topics in my business to combine in order to innovate?
Can analogy be used?
Who were the great innovators? (da Vinci). How did they get their ideas that led to innovation?

Dead maid scam

We survived a scam attempt this morning. We were at first very sad, then hopeful but anxious and now delirious with joy. Our maid, Mavis, is still alive.

And I discovered another gift, I can talk to people beyond the grave on my cell phone. Must be a new service from MTN that I did not know about.

Mavis, our maid, is part of our family and we were very shocked this morning when someone who called himself her "son" informed us that she died in a taxi accident near Pietersburg last night.

I even spoke to her so-called "husband". It did not take them long to request some "help" of +- R 9 000. I was even given a choice of banks to pay the money into. I was shocked and asked for some time to think about it as it was a lot of money. I was prepared to help unconditionally but needed to gather my thoughts as we were very shocked about the news.

For some or another reason my wife, Naomi, phoned our neighbour and mentioned this thing. The neigbour warned us that it could be a scam as they tried something similar with her and she did not even have a maid. Naomi remembered that the same thing happened to her sister about a year ago, which she confirmed.

The scamsters phoned me back as they were keeping us under pressure. When I told them that I needed to go to the bank on Monday to organise the money they hung up.

I eventually got through on Mavis' cell phone but her husband answered and said she was out shopping. I asked if she was OK which he confirmed. At this stage I was still a little bit unsure and asked him for her to call me back as soon as she gets back from town, which she did.

So - I can either talk to the dead on my cell phone or Mavis is really still ALIVE.

Nevertheless we are all very relieved.

Crocs are ugly but nice

Crocs are ugly but nice. I use them all the time-especially when we hit the malls on weekends. I call them my shopping shoes as they are so comfortable. They have helped to make these compulsory mall trips bearable. But they can be sooo ugly too. I have bought a nice looking pair though and even my family is prepared to be seen with me when I wear them. Maybe they only say so as they know I would not go with otherwise.

Ha-de-das

I am just wondering if Hadedas can actually see underground. Have you seen how easily they pluck the earthworms from the lawn. Just one hit with that long crooked beak of their's-strait and true and out comes the worm-one shot only. I am sure they've got some kind of xray vision and can actually see clearly underground. It is apparently also a known fact that Hadedas actually don't like heights and that's why they scream like that when they fly. However, nobody will ever be able to proof me wrong. And we will never know for sure, will we now?

Boeremark

I have only recently discovered the Boeremark at the Pioneer’s museum in Pretoria. This place is soo authentic and nice with its Boeremusiek in the background. It takes me back to when I was a little boy when I visited my Oupa on his farm during my holidays and we went to the Indian trading store to stock up. Be there early though as farmers like to get up early and take their naps early as it wraps at 09h00.

The first time I visited was like discovering a pot of gold. It spoke to my inner being and reminded me of my roots. Here was an open air store in the traditions of the past where you can actually buy things fresh from the field. In the background traditional Boeremusic was playing and everywhere I walked the smell of food made my mouth water. I did not buy much that day as I was checking it out but I knew I would be back often after that.

Although I saw that the market starts rather early I though it would at least carry on until 12h00 every Saturday. This was not so and ruined my second visit to the market when I took my family there to brag with my new discovery. As it goes with good city dwellers and mall rats we got there at about 09h30. And to my surprise everyone had left already. Be warned the market really shuts down at 09h00.

Our third visit was more successful as my family believed me about being there early. We were in time this time around - albeit not very early. We bought the nicest cheese, plants and restored picture frames that day and my family was hooked.

We have since visited the market a few times and have enjoyed every visit thoroughly. And each time we have visited we discovered something else that tickled our fancy.

Figuring out gadgets is half the fun

I can not help it - I like gadgets. Not using it, but figuring out how they actually work. Take these Chinese gadgets for instance. With most of them I have decided that it is better to first try and figure out how to use them through trial and error than to use the Engrisch instructions. At the crucial moment, at the last step, just before it can actually be used, something is lost in the translation. By that time I am so excited to get the thing to work and then the utter frustration of not knowing what to do next. Maybe it is not frustration but a sense of excitement because I now have free reign to figure out the damn gadget until it works. So these days I first try and figure out the gadget before reading the instructions and should I read the instructions first, it disappoints me if they actually work as figuring out gadgets is half the fun.