To keep developing you have to keep learning. Here’s ten things I learned this year:

1. Even the nicest people can have ulterior motives
2. Podcasts are part of the beauty of the internet
3. People desperately crave gratitude, respect and love
4. You have to follow your gut when your head doesn’t know what to do
5. It’s never as bad as you think it is
6. You will learn more about life through watching your children than through anything else
7. People are blinded by faith
8. Rediscovering bands from your youth is an amazing experience
9. You have to be prepared to say “I was wrong”
10. Smiling more often makes you happier

What did you learn this year?

May 2010 be an awesome year for you. Thank you for reading.

Here are a few of the cool online resources I discovered (or rediscovered) this year…

Various:

• Twitter – although I think it’s time is limited a la MySpace
• TED – videos of ideas worth spreading
• CD Baby – the best CD site online cataloging unsigned and independent artists.

Health, Fitness & Lifestyle:

• Robb Wolf – Paleo nutrition and more
• Mark’s Daily Apple – living primal in the modern world
• Tim Ferriss – Lifestyle design and the Four Hour Work Week

Podcasts:

• BodyTonic – minimal techno and other electronic mixes
• Electronic Groove – House music podcasts
• Symbiosis – soundscapes and eclectic mixes collected by Simon Hampson
• Get The Curse – techno, deep house and other electronic mixes

What can you add to the list?

I’m sure I remember my mother telling me not to discuss politics or religion in polite company. But I just can’t help myself. How can anyone these days? It seems like the two are intrinsically connected these days. One might think that the USA is home to religion control of the political arena but Australia is not far behind. With the rise of Tony Abbott to the leadership of the Liberal Party, I can’t help but wonder if we are about to see an era of Christian values being forced down our throats…please God anything but that. (Yes, it is a little amusing that an atheist – I do detest that term – is calling for God’s help!)

In a few days I’ll be voting in the Higgins by-election. It’s a (fairly) safe Liberal seat yet I hope the constituents stand up and give the Liberals and the religious right in general a good old two fingered salute.

My vote will go to The Greens. (I’m purposely not mentioning climate change herein.)

Here is Dr Clive Hamilton’s campaign launch speech:

If you’re feeling even more adventurous, perhaps the Australian Sex Party might get your vote?