The above video is embedded in a fantastic post on work-life balance over on Deliberatism.
(via @Aarron)
5 Regrets
Top five regrets of the dying:
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
Taken from this Guardian Article, via Jay Parkinson.
sherpaa
Jay Parkinson and his team just launched Sherpaa, an around the clock email and phone access to friendly, NYC-based doctors (or Guides as they call them). Whenever you have a health question or concern, they’re here for you. And they play nicely with the insurance you’ve got.
For now, they’re focusing on working exclusively with tumblr employees but will soon be signing up other NYC-based companies. If you’re interested in joining Sherpaa, let them know. I am!
Jay gave an interesting CreativeMornings talk in 2010, in which he explains how he wants to change health care with help of technology and design. Worth watching.
On Surprise e-Intros
I have currently 6 guilt-inducing e-introductions sitting in my inbox, flagged of course. While I am extremely grateful for being introduced to interesting folks, I do not appreciate surprise-introductions. I don’t want to be that person that doesn’t reply, or simply doesn’t have time to meet up for coffee or to have lunch. I know, that all of these introductions are meant well, I would just simply appreciate to be asked first, if an introduction is ok.
I fully agree with Fred Wilson’s post from 2009 on email intro etiquette:
“When introducing two people who don’t know each other, ask each of them to opt-in to the introduction before making it.” – Fred Wilson
The Double Opt-In Introduction
(thanks Cameron)
StartupBus
Aboard the New York City Startup Bus.
Imagine this: You and a team of strangers, on a bus, traveling at 60 miles per hour, have 72 hours to conceive, build and launch a startup. That’s StartupBus in a nutshell.
StartupBus began life as a joke, a roadtrip starting in San Francisco with friends, but with the twist of launching a startup on arrival in Austin in time for the SxSW technology conference. Somehow though, people thought Elias Bizannes (the founder) was actually serious. A few unexpected blog articles and many emails later, he was stuck with having to now make good on his pub night promise.
StartupBus has since evolved into a competition and grew six-fold with buses departing from San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, and Miami. In 2011, an impressive 156 ‘buspreneurs’ participated who produced 38 different products.
Talk about turning an experiment into an international community! I can’t help but chuckle at the term Buspreneur. To become one, apply to the StartupBus.
StartupBus – what a refreshing and charming concept! Hat tip!
The Two Things
“For every subject, there are really only two things you really need to know. Everything else is the application of those two things, or just not important.”
Economist Glen Whitman on The Two Things. Make sure to check out this collection of various Two Things. I must now think about what they are for blogging…
(via bobulate)
A fold
Thanks to the above graphic and this post over on brain pickings I will never look at a simple fold the same way again. Same goes for an ant.
Valerie Casey: The New Normal
‘
Wonderful AIGA talk by Valery Casey, founder of the Designers Accord, the global coalition of designers, educators, and business leaders working together to create positive sustainable impact.
Valery is an impressive force in the design industry: She was named a “Guru” of the year by Fortune magazine, a “Hero of the Environment” by Time magazine, a “Master of Design” by Fast Company and one of the “World’s Most Influential Designers” by BusinessWeek. The World Economic Forum has honored Casey as a “Young Global Leader.”
Question for my readers…
During an interview last week I was asked a question that had me stumped: “What are some tools for people who want to project a strong personal brand but can’t afford to hire a graphic designer?” Is there a tool out there? Did anyone ever write a basic DIY post on this that could be used somewhat universally? Any suggestions anyone? I find it an interesting problem!
I agree…
I’d love for us as an industry to be more tolerant, to encourage others and get rid of that underlying tone, that has crept in recently, of one-upmanship. I don’t expect everyone to get on, or even share the same opinion, but before making a snarky comment, ask yourself what real value it’s adding to the community? Personally, snarky comments on twitter remind me of one of a saying…
“Rudeness is the weak person’s imitation of strength”.
- Sarah Parmenter, from her blog post “Do Unto Others..”
Intellectual Sprawl
Urban sprawl is bad. Intellectual sprawl is good. Giving up the previous leads to the latter. Putting people close together forces them to rub off on one another.
- Frank Chimero
From a post by Frank Chimero titled A Series of Ill-Informed Hunches and Observations
Wise Words by Steve Jobs
I will make sure my kids will watch this over and over as they grow up. Watch more wise clips by Steve Jobs over at brain pickings.
Regifting API
My studiomate Maria, force behind Brain Pickings just launched the Regifting API which aims to destigmatize regifting. Together with Josh Boston she designed a regifting icon, pattern, and stencil stamp. These are available as free, shareable downloads under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) license, which basically means you’re welcome to use, remix, and share with attribution for non-commercial purposes. Two swissmiss thumbs up!
Link to resources.
Is Mercury In Retrograde?
Is Mercury in Retrograde is a question I asked myself a lot last week. Now I know. Considering just how much went wrong during my trip to Switzerland, I am not surprised the answer is currently YES.
Don’t know what it means, when Mercury is in retrograde? Read up here.
(via Sharon Lee)
Kinect Effect
Moving and inspiring.
(via Tim)
SO&SO
SO&SO is a lovely new short-form journal for the wandering interneteer. The current, second edition tries to resolve the Atheist / Agnostic distinction. Interesting.
(Hat tip to the creator Alasdair Monk.)
Unconsumption
Rob Walker’s The Unconsumption project which focuses on mindful consumption and creative reuse — has embarked on a really cool side project that they’re calling The Uncollection.
Clifton Burt designed the Unconsumption logo, and they put it under a Creative Commons license that allows others to use it. The Uncollection so far is here.
Read more about the thinking behind the Uncollection in this interview with Craft, and this item on FastCompany.com, and of course the links at the top of this page.
Submit pix of your own creations to their Facebook page.
(I think this would make for an excellent Tattly…)
OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW.
Do yourself a favor and read this incredibly moving Eulogy for Steve Jobs by his sister Mona Simpson.
Class Guidelines
This Class Guidelines at my daughter’s kindergarten class made me smile. It not only applies to 5 year olds. (And no, I don’t know what “Magic Six” is, will have to ask my daughter tonight)
Proclamation
I agree with my studiomate Raul, I like this proclamation by children’s book author Mac Barnett and signed by many other authors.
Haiku
All I want to be
is a person who makes things
and thinks about them.
– John Maeda
(From this wonderful post by Frank Chimero)
