1. Afghanistan, July, 2010 (boston.com/bigpicture) “This past month, much of the attention focused on Afghanistan centered on the release of thousands of classified documents from the war effort by WikiLeaks. While the consensus appears to be that nothing significantly new was revealed by the release, the picture painted by the documents remains rather bleak. NATO [...]
“The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It’s your mind you have to convince.” -Vince Lombardi
Online social networking. Online social gaming. Online search. Online video. Online advertising. Online applications. Online books. Online magazines. Online reading. Online mobile. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Farmville (Zynga). Google. Google. Google and most of Web 2.0 (and beyond?). Many old and new publishers. All media companies. Almost everybody. Apple. I realize and accept the fact [...]
1. The Pitchman (gladwell.com) “The extraordinary story of the Ronco Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ begins with Nathan Morris, the son of the shoemaker and cantor Kidders Morris, who came over from the Old Country in the eighteen-eighties, and settled in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Nathan Morris was a pitchman. He worked the boardwalk and the [...]
“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift.” -Steve Prefontaine
I was talking with someone a few days ago about whom we confide in. I realized that I confide in very few people. That may not be surprise a to many — perhaps your lists are very short as well — but I was actually surprised to realize that I don’t confide in many of [...]
I’m not sure if I’m able to emphasize how important prioritization has been in my life. While saying “No” or “Not now” may seem harsh to some people, I think it’s important that you do. I think much of life is about finding and experiencing great things. And in order to do that, I think [...]
I’m convinced that many people love experiencing things, especially new and deep things. Not everyone, but I believe many do. And I believe the number of people who do is only going to increase with time. I also think peoples’ love for experience will deepen with time as well. I’m also convinced that people are [...]
1. 2010 Tour De France — Part II (boston.com/bigpicture) “The 2010 Tour de France cycling race is now over, with Spain’s Alberto Contador claiming his third win in Paris yesterday. Andy Schleck of Luxembourg finished 39 seconds back, and seven-time tour winner Lance Armstrong finished 23rd in his final Tour de France. This 97th running [...]
Creating something that you, and others love, is such beauty. It’s such a difficult thing to do, that when it happens, it’s just beautiful. There are a lot of things in the world that people create — which they love — but others just like. To be loved by another, for a creation of your [...]
1. What I Did When I Couldn’t Find A Job (chronicle.com) “It was a bit of a shock, losing all expectations. For years—all my life, really—parents, teachers, and guidance counselors had told me that if I went to a good college and did well, I would be able to find a job after graduation that [...]
(Originally written March 17, 2009) On Sunday, my cousin John (who is visiting from Utah) and I drove into Seattle for the afternoon (actually, early evening). When we parked, I asked John if he had heard of EMP (Experience Music Project). He hadn’t. When I heard this, I knew it was something we should go [...]
In terms of deciding what to create, that’s what Paul Graham of Y Combinator suggests is most important to think about. Make something people want. To me, that seems more like the destination. Google, Facebook, Pandora, et al all made something people wanted. And perhaps it’s most important to keep your eye on the prize. [...]
I think you need both. Many people usually include “hard-work” in their definition of success. I think hard-work can be broken down into two things – repetition and innovation. Practice and innovate. And once you innovate, practice. I think one can achieve great things by applying a lot of process — a lot of practice [...]
It’s so much easier to create things when you feel good. Life is so much better when you feel good. Feel. Just feel. Good.
I keep running, I keep moving To the sound of the wind, to the smell of the sea I keep running, I keep moving Through the fields, and into the park I keep running, I keep moving To the beat of music, to the sight of green lights I keep running, I keep moving To [...]
A few weeks go, I wrote about Experience’s Beauty. If you haven’t read it, you may want to start there. And if you have read it, you may want to read it again. While experiences (especially new ones with great people) are quite blissful for me, I do think there’s a catch.
Greatness is rare. And I think in order to become great, you have to let go of good things. You have to say “No” to good things, at some point.
If you’ve ever organized an activity or event, you’ve undoubetedbly had someone (perhaps many) ask you: “Who’s all going?” This question can be frustrating and annoying to the organizer.
I just came across a passage in Brewster Ghiselin’s The Creative Process, where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart discusses his creative process. (The passage is actually a selection from Life Of Mozart (audiobook), by Edward Holmes.) Mozart writes:
The pleasure in resting is more a feeling of relief rather than excitement. After a long trip, lots of physical activity, or just a full day running errands, sitting or laying down may sound quite nice. But it’s just part of the process toward recovery. It’s just a matter of re-energizing. To move again. Lately, [...]
1. Recent Scenes From Iraq (boston.com/bigpicture) “Just over seven years since the start of the Iraq War, the scheduled withdrawal of American forces is now becoming more evident. Last year, Americans pulled out of Iraqi cities and are working toward the formal end of combat operations by September 1st, when the number of soldiers in [...]
1. Focus And Differentiation (speakhuman.com) “First dates are weird. Each individual tries to present their best characteristics. In doing so they edit what they say, in order to hit the high points and not overwhelm the other. This is common sense, right? You just don’t share every tiny detail about your life during an introduction, [...]
1. 2010 Tour De France — Part I (boston.com/bigpicture) “The first half of the 20-stage 2010 Tour de France cycling race is over, with the current overall leader being Andy Schleck of Luxembourg riding for Denmark’s Team Saxo Bank. This 97th running of the iconic race started in Rotterdam with 198 riders in 22 teams [...]
1. The Men Who Stare At Screens (nytimes.com) “In 1982, researchers affiliated with the Cooper Institute in Dallas surveyed a large group of well-educated, affluent men. The researchers were interested in the men’s exercise habits, but they also asked, almost incidentally, about their indolence. Specifically, they inquired about how many hours each day the men [...]
1. 2010 World Cup Comes To A Close (boston.com/bigpicture) “After a month of matches, the 2010 FIFA World Cup Tournament is over, with Spain claiming its first ever trophy, the Netherlands placing second, and Germany taking third place. 32 teams came to South Africa last month, and the eyes of the world were upon them [...]
Televisions, PCs, mobile phones, and tablets have shaped our culture. Generation Y (and those following) have grown up with many of these technologies readily available to them. For many Gen Yers, it wasn’t a matter of if you’d get a mobile phone, it was a matter of when. And for many of the college bound [...]
1. The Creativity Crisis (newsweek.com) “Back in 1958, Ted Schwarzrock was an 8-year-old third grader when he became one of the “Torrance kids,” a group of nearly 400 Minneapolis children who completed a series of creativity tasks newly designed by professor E. Paul Torrance. Schwarzrock still vividly remembers the moment when a psychologist handed him [...]
1. Is It Futile To Pursue Happiness? (biopsychiatry.com) “If Daniel Gilbert is right, then you are wrong. That is to say, if Daniel Gilbert is right, then you are wrong to believe that a new car will make you as happy as you imagine. You are wrong to believe that a new kitchen will make [...]
I often ask myself that question. And it can be time-consuming to find the answer(s) if I’m open to different destinations. But I recently found a tool on Kayak.com’s site that provides a global view of prices for flights. Though it’s not perfect, you can try it out here.
1. Summer Is Here (boston.com/bigpicture) “With the summer solstice now two weeks gone, the northern hemisphere is heating up. High temperatures in some places have made working difficult and have taxed power grids as usage of electricity neared record levels in the U.S. This past weekend, the United States celebrated its 234th birthday on July [...]
Lately, I’ve seen many guys walking around wearing a suit, with a Bluetooth in their ear. Every once in awhile they actually seem to be having a conversation. But more often times than not it seems like they’re wearing them to try to look cool. You know, you may have a lot of money. A [...]
If you turned on the news over the last couple of days, you couldn’t not hear about LeBron James’ big decision. Some news outlets, publications, and journalists have criticized the handling of the situation — airing a special, nationally televised program on ESPN this evening. Others have just gone-with-the-flow and have taken it for what [...]
The other day, Patricia Sellers (of Fortune) wrote a piece that suggests Gen Yers lack a career oriented mind. She says: “While we Baby Boomers typically place high value on pay, benefits, stability and prestige, Gen Y cares most about fun, innovation, social responsibility, and time off.”
A little over two months ago, Paul Buchheit said, “Making it easier to have lightweight conversations is the future of communications on the web” But I think conversation isn’t what really matters in the world (or on the Web). I think making it easier to take lightweight action on things that people are interested in [...]
The keys are in our hands to make the world a better place. Use them.
Where having deep experiences are as common and accessible as clicking on a weblink, opening a webpage, going to a mall, movie theater, or sporting event. I dream of a world where the majority of commerce doesn’t involve the consumption of clothes, shoes, and technology devices, but rather fulfilling, real-life experiences. I dream of a [...]
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the value of close relationships. I’m realizing how important, precious, and irreplaceable they are. By themselves, new adventures and experiences are good and exciting. But close relationships are special. The great ones are worth the wait and effort.