Want to see how to visualize data in the YouTube age? Not sure one can do better than Hans Rosling.
There is no Superman
I watched Waiting for Superman this weekend. What’s the Big Idea? Michelle Rhee says the reason the D.C. school system fails is because it’s all about the adults, not the kids. If we can make education about what’s best for the kids, we can make it meaningful again.
Blurring the lines between computing and living
You may have seen this before. (I think I had.) A friend sent it in beautiful HD, and I said, “Sign me up.” By the way, it’s much more beautiful in HD. Here’s the link. (Click on the full screen option.)
Good morning, Mr. Churchill. How about a whiskey and soda?
Sometimes the big idea is discipline. Many writers and others follow(ed) a strict schedule. It was the only way to get things done. Anthony Trollope, for instance, wrote from 4a ’til noon every day, actually wrote, then would mercilessly edit in the afternoons. Here are the schedules of some other…
Bumper sticker goes viral
Driving home a while ago, I saw a bumper sticker: “More Cowbell.” Recognized it; couldn’t place it. Got home. Googled more cowbell. Laughed like it was all new. Sheesh. And here’s the full skit. More, more cowbell.
Shoot the bear!
Maybe I’ve been under a rock … More than 15 million views on YouTube suggest that’s the case. But this is the best use of viral video I’ve seen since Burger King’s subservient chicken.
Reading the long form in The Atavist
Those who read me here know I love technology. Those who know me also know I love to read. There was a time I wanted to be a writer, even thought of myself as one. Now I’m satisfied being a reader, and a reader about and on technology is particularly…
Google in print?
Not exactly. Google’s magazine, Think Quarterly, is a beautiful online magazine. It resembles a high-style print publication, right down to the small font size. Open publication – Free publishing
The iPod is 10 years old
10 years ago we put 1000 songs into our pockets. This article from The Guardian takes a look at what Apple has done to revolutionize the music business in just 10 years. The Big Idea wasn’t the device; it was the iTunes Store. And it still is.
Two of my worlds collide in this presentation
The presentation below I just happened to come across, and it brought to mind two experiences, one a personal quest, another from some of our recent (2008) work. 1. Presentations I’ve written on several occasions about my own efforts to improve the quality and focus of my presentations. (Two examples,…
Fri PM musical interlude
Enjoy this montage from Tom Waits’ induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Using The Beatles and their music for business inspiration?
Seems a stretch, even to me, perhaps the greatest Beatles apologist of all time. “Come Together: The Business Wisdom” of The Beatles (NYT review here) uses the band’s work and songs to create business guidance. It’s a one-trick pony, I’m afraid, though I’m sure some of the anecdotes – such…
Congratulations to the Evans Scholars
This week I received my Par Club bag tags for 2011, an outward and visible sign that I (if only modestly) support the Western Golf Association’s Evans Scholar Foundation. The Evans Scholar program is so special. And if you’ve ever had one of these young people and students as a…
How much of your brain are you using?
Exploring the power of medication – something more than a couple of Harpoons, anyway – Limitless appears to be a film about releasing potential. How far do we go?
Maybe they are reading your blog?
“80 percent of kids under the age of five use the internet weekly.” Read more in Techland.