Archives for May 2013

- - - | written by Jason on 5/30/2013 | - - -

This Week’s Sign That The Apocalypse Is Upon Us

When I was a kid, I had a subscription to Sports Illustrated. Not sure if they still have this, but every week there was a little blurb entitled, "This Week's Sign That The Apocalypse Is Upon Us." It always featured some absurd factoid that was too ridiculous to believe but nevertheless, painfully true. Well, the other day I heard a radio commercial for a local cable provider. It heralded as one of its biggest selling points a DVR that could record four shows at the same time. Four shows at the same time! Look, if you are in the target market that finds this a must-have feature, you …

- - - | written by Jason on 5/28/2013 | - - -

Something Wonderful

Good advice. And when you take into account the fact that none of us actually knows what the future holds, doesn't the alternative seem downright masochistic? Kind of weird (sad, actually) that this good advice is "advice" at all, and not normal operating procedure. …

- - - | written by Jason on 5/26/2013 | - - -

When Plates Tell Stories

Yep, plates tell stories. Especially fancy plates. A few months ago, a woman came up to me after one of my speaking programs to talk about her experience cleaning out her mother's home after her passing. The woman and her siblings found a box of fine china, each piece carefully wrapped just as it was when it was gifted to their parents on their wedding day. The mother was married for over fifty years. She had four kids. Thirteen grandkids. And the china was still in the box, unused. Although muffled by cardboard and packing paper, these plates told a clear story: There is no occasion …

- - - | written by Jason on 5/23/2013 | - - -

Thy Laundromat Shalt Be Boring and Unappealing

"There's nothing about a washing machine which says it has to stand in an unpleasant space." -- Ruud Belmans, Creative Director of Pinkeye He's right, you know. Washing machines may come with bulky instruction manuals written in seven different languages, but there has never been one printed with a rule stating that it should stand in an unpleasant space. Rules that don't exist are EVERYWHERE, but they are so ingrained in us that we don't even consider the benefits of breaking them. The Belgians who dreamed up Wasbar did when they set out to design a new kind of laundromat. …

- - - | written by Jason on 5/21/2013 | - - -

Meet Ian Wilkinson

The Small Rebellion is a playful group of escape artists who share a joyful, indomitable childlike spirit and are not afraid to let that spirit come out to play! They’re united by a common goal of fighting Adultitis and the doo-doo heads who embrace its ideals. Quite frankly, they’re pretty much the coolest people on the planet. Here's one right now... • My name is... Ian Wilkinson. • My hometown is... Lubbock, TX • My biggest dream...I would like to go into space someday. …

[Read more...] about Meet Ian Wilkinson

- - - | written by Jason on 5/19/2013 | - - -

What Success Really Looks Like

Everyone has their own definition of success. Mine is not to own a jet, hobnob with CEOs, or work a mere four hours a week. My definition of success is to be a force for good in the world and to make a decent living doing what I love while spending lots of time with people I care about. So far, so good. The middle part -- the "making a decent living doing what I love" part -- THAT took the longest. Way longer than I'd imagined or hoped. Success is not that hard. But it is rare because not many people are willing to do the work. The biggest requirement for success is just sticking to …

- - - | written by Jason on 5/16/2013 | - - -

Career Is Never As Important As Family

Basketball Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recently wrote an article for Esquire magazine entitled, 20 Things I Wish I’d Known When I Was 30. This one is my favorite: 9. Career is never as important as family. The better you are at your job, the more you’re rewarded, financially and spiritually, by doing it. You know how to solve problems for which you receive praise and money. Home life is more chaotic. Solving problems is less prescriptive and no one’s applauding or throwing money if you do it right. That’s why so many young professionals spend more time at work with the excuse, “I’m …

- - - | written by Jason on 5/14/2013 | - - -

The World Would Be Better if We Had More Giant Rubber Duckies Floating Around

I'll just state the obvious, because we've all thought it: We need more giant rubber duckies floating around in our lakes, rivers, and harbors. We also need more artists to think of ideas like this. The giant yellow ambassador of fun pictured above is the work of conceptual artist Florentijin Hofman, who states: …

- - - | written by Jason on 5/12/2013 | - - -

Help Wanted: Family CEO

Help Wanted: Family CEO Applicant is responsible for the management and safety of her subordinates at all times. She will be responsible for the overall health and development of those under her supervision, including, but not limited to, ensuring proper regular hygiene, ethics instruction, and recreational activities. She will foster appropriate communication and team building skills within her unit, which shall require expertise status in the areas of conflict resolution and communications. Being particularly fluent in primitive languages is a plus. …

- - - | written by Jason on 5/10/2013 | - - -

Serving Fun as the Main Course with a Side of Crazy

Spatula City is a meal in which everyone eats dinner with unconventional utensils. Think spatulas, spaghetti forks and soup ladels. Barbarian Spaghetti is when you eat spaghetti without plates. Crazy might be when you combine them both. …