Thought For Life

From Seth Godin:

"...be happy wherever you are, with whatever you've got, but alway hungry for the thrill of creating art, of being missed if you're gone and most of all, doing important work."




My thoughts, exactly.

Shut Up and Suck It Up, Big Babies

I'd like to add a fourth: nobody helped me pay my student loan debts.  It took me and my wife eleven years to pay off our loans, and even though it took considerable resources out of our monthly budget, it was still an obligation we had made and  it was our duty to honor it, no matter how much we disliked it.

Memo to students: shut up, get an education and then pay for it.  Education isn't free, and it shouldn't be.  Suck it up and quit being suck big damn crybabies.  You're (technically) adults.  Start acting like it.

Time Stand Still

I'm not looking back
But I want to look around me now
(Time stand still)
See more of the people and the places that surround me now
Freeze this moment a little bit longer
Make each impression a little bit stronger
Freeze this motion a little bit longer
The innocence slips away
The innocence slips away...

Summer's going fast, nights growing colder
Children growing up, old friends growing older
Freeze this moment a little bit longer
Make each impression a little bit stronger
Experience slips away
Experience slips away...
The innocence slips away

I've been thinking a lot lately about growing older. My 36th birthday a few weeks ago hasn't helped that. I'm not in any sort of crisis or anything - I've just been feeling my body getting older lately. And I don't really care for it. I get tired more easily than I used to, I don't always have the kind of energy that I need to do the things that I want to, I'm losing my hair and I'm going gray. But I don't feel as old as I am or as I look. I'm still a 19-year old trapped in my aging body. I feel like I have a youthful spirit, but I get fewer and fewer opportunities to let it loose.

I've known for awhile now that my relatively sedentary lifestyle is responsible for all this. Ten years ago when I was still mascotting I had no trouble keeping my weight down and myself in shape. I was constantly moving, whether that was jumping around in a mascot suit or cycling or drumming or spending hours at the gym. And I was always full-out at everything I did. I would usually come back from whatever I was doing completely exhausted - and happy. But sitting at a desk all day these days has taken its toll on my energy and my body and - I fear - my spirit. I find myself choosing to sit on the sideline and watch the kids run around rather than running around with them.

My job is to blame, sure. But I blame my friends, also. As we've all gotten older, we've all (okay, most of us...) gotten so involved in our jobs and our families that we don't take the time to revel in our youth anymore. And yes, we are still young. I was reminded of that this week when in the course of videotaping an event I was jumping on and off a stage and bounding over a wall. A little old lady came up to me and said, "I sure wish I was still young enough to bounce around like you do." In that moment it hit me how young I still really am. And as long as I can still do the bounding and the bouncing and the jumping, I'm going to do it. I'm especially thankful or the ability after being sidelined a few years ago with some back problems. But I digress. I was talking about my lazy old fuddy duddy friends, wasn't I?

Ten(ish) years ago my friends and I still got together every now and then for a game of football or to play some sand volleyball. Those days seem legendary now looking back on them. But as we got further and further away from college and more and more busy, it became tougher and tougher to find enough people willing to put down their burdens for a couple of hours to take the time to play football or volleyball. It became a burden and pretty soon it stopped altogether. Not only was it a great way to let loose, have some fun and get some exercise, it also helped us stay together as a group. I don't think it's any coincidence that as we got busier and stopped playing together, that we all started to drift apart.

Over the weekend, Kayci and I were at Zilker Park in Austin. She has been wanting to climb around on the rocks in the middle of the park, so we went. For awhile she was fascinated by a fossilized shell that the found on one of the rocks and set forth trying to dig it out of the rock. While she worked, I sat back and watched the people playing on the field below. I saw people playing soccer and ultimate frisbee and sand volleyball. As I watched I was reminded of all the fun times - and how great it felt - to be outside on a beautiful day playing.

As I sat there I realized that there were all age ranges of people down there, not just teenagers or college kids. And most of them were in pretty decent shape. Then I thought of myself. My weight has hit a plateau - I can't seem to lose any more weight no matter how hard I try. But I think the key is to just move more - to just get out and play.

So I made a promise to myself. I am going to not only get out and move more, but I'm going to try to get my friends to do it , too. There's no reason why it has to be a guys' night thing or a girls' night thing, either. I can envision playing volleyball at the park with several people taking turns watching the kids while the adults play." There are some pretty decent sand volleyball courts in Brenham at Hohlt Park, and it's getting to the time of year when playing volleyball is perfect. I think the hard thing to do is to get people to get out of the mindset of "I have too much to do to play..." or that "it's too hot outside" or "it's too humid outside..." Think back to when you were a kid. Did any of those things ever stop you from playing before? Of course not. Those are excuses adults come up with to justify their actions (on inaction, as the case may be.)

And most importantly, taking time to play will teach our kids how to play. We're growing up in an age where video games and TV are the norm and where kids don't really play outside much anymore, at least not the way we used to. I firmly believe that the family that plays together, stays together. We're always so life-and-death all the time and that takes a serious toll on our marriages and relationships. Who ever said that being an adult means that you have to be all about work and paying bills? A stodgy old lonely codger, that's who.

But I'm hopeful. We've got a group of really good friends between my friends at work and Kristi's friends at MOPS that we might be able to get something started. Even if it was just one standing weekend a month, that would be something. So who's in? Who up for a couple of hours of playtime a month? Come on - it won't kill you. In fact, it may do just the opposite.

"We don't stop playing because we get older. We get older because we stop playing."

My High School Dream

I had a very vivid dream tonight that I'd like to share.

In my dream, I was at my 20-year high school reunion. It was being held at some sort of a hotel where one side faced a tree-lined street with several stories of rooms that had outward-facing doors and an outside walkway. The hotel made a ring around a large open courtyard where there was a large swimming pool and a small water park. In fact, it reminds me a lot of some of the "cheaper" hotels at Walk Disney World- the Movies, All-Star and Rock & Roll hotels. But there were bleachers on the inside of the courtyard where people could sit and watch what was going on in the pool.

I remember early on in my dream showing up and being very social, walking around talking to old friends that I haven't talked to in awhile- Brad Chelette, Irfan Hydari, Julie King and Susan Kellond. But then some sort of show began with some entertainment. For some reason it was being deejayed by Sam Malone. I lingered outside on the outside walkways, but I could still hear the show very clearly.

Then I heard a very distinctive voice - that of one of my all-time best friends, Gary Kipe. He had taken to the microphone and was
making some announcement, which wasn't all that odd since he was the class president, a cheerleader and a very outgoing kinda guy. But then I heard him call my name. He was calling for me to come down to the front for some reason (I'm not sure why.) But I wasn't ready, and I didn't go. I remember thinking in my dream "if I'm going to go down there and be introduced, I want to do it in my Superman cape." You see, I've always been a huge Superman fan, but especially so in high school. Right or wrong, I was kinda known for being a bit over the top about it, too. So I decided that I would run over to my car (my great old silver '83 Honda Accord hatchback that died my first year in college), which was parked nearby, and grab my cape. I yelled and tossed a CD to a friend who had come out to get me to tell Gary to wait two minutes, introduce me again and play the Superman theme song. That would give me enough time to get my cape and come back.

I went to my car, got my cape and cape back. I waited on the outside walkway of the hotel to hear my cue to go in, but instead I just heard music, other introductions and Sam Malone talking. So I waited, all the while thinking, "surely they're just waiting for a good time, and then they'll call me again." I waited and waited there on the outside of the hotel, never going in to be a part of the festivities- always waiting for my big entrance, which I was sure would come at any time.

I walked around and went to the top of the bleachers, where I ran into more good friends from high school - Traci Ritz, Karen Amoroso and Sarah Smaardyk. We spoke briefly and superficially. In fact, I kinda brushed them off, even though they seemed genuinely interested in my life and what I was up to. But I was focused- I was waiting and concentrating to make sure I didn't miss my Big Entrance. So they went away.

The day wore on, and the sun got lower in the sky. I finally decided to look inside to see what was going on. The party was still going, but it was winding down and most of the people that had filled the place earlier had already left. I walked around a little, but none of the people I really cared to see where there. My buddy Gary was gone, and I remember looking around again for Brad and my good friend David Barrios. But they had all left. I walked out to my car, opened the door and threw my cape in the empty passenger's seat next to me. And then I woke up.

As I lay in bed, the images from my dream were as vivid and detailed as if I were still in them. Even now, almost two hours later, I can still feel the dream. I can still hear it. I can still see it. And it occurred to me that my dream was a metaphor for life. I'm not quite sure it was my life, exactly. It was in some ways, but wasn't in many, many others. But I know people whose life it represents pretty accurately.

You see, many people have this image of themselves, a dream of sorts. It forms early on when they really don't know much about themselves or about the world around them. Oh, they think they know, but they don't. They have this big idea about what their life is going to be like and they set forth trying to make that happen, exactly according to their vision. But most times, the world has other plans. Things change, and people change. But many people don't change with them. They keep on the same course they saw long ago, consequences be damned. And then they get their big opportunity, their one shot at grabbing the ring and being in the spotlight. But they don't take it because the planets weren't perfectly aligned, the situation wasn't exactly right according to their dream. And they miss it. They spend most of their lives waiting for that perfect situation to come, but it never comes again. And then when they finally give in and decide to live a little, they find that the people they cared about are gone. And then, at the end of the day, all they're left with is the tattered remnants of their dream and a life that wasn't truly lived.

I say that this wasn't about my life because there have been many, many times in my life where I feel like I've grabbed for the ring. And most times, those chances taken have led to great, unexpected things. I really feel as though I've got a good life, and I don't have too many regrets. But the one thing that I do regret is that, aside from a few really good friends, I generally try to keep the world at arm's length. I've lost touch with people in my past who have meant a lot to me, some of whom were in my dream. I'm not talking about keeping up with them on Facebook (a couple of my all-time best friends aren't even on Facebook)- I'm talking about really knowing them and who they are today. Knowing their families and what they do and how many kids they have and what kind of music they enjoy. And letting them know me. Not just the sometimes-crafted me that I want the world to see, but the getting-fat, going-gray and going-bald me. Some of those opportunities are lost, but many aren't. And I intend to try to get to know some of my best friends again. But I digress...

I can't end a dream about high school without giving a valedictorian-style wrap up. So, friends, don't waste your life on nothing. Live your life to its fullest. Go with the flow and learn to dream new dreams if the currents of the world change around you. And be bold enough to grab that one big opportunity when it comes, even if it's not perfect. And then hold on for the ride.

Less of a Man

Am I less of a man because I don't hunt?
... because I only fish every now and then?
... because I don't watch every game that's on all weekend?
... because I'm not into cars?
... because I don't go out every day after work to drink with the guys?
... because I don't have a girlfriend on the side?
... because I don't wear a hat?
... because I don't know how to rebuild an engine?
... because I don't play golf very often?
... because my truck isn't a diesel?
... because it can't pull fifty times its own weight?
... because I don't often wear boots?
... because I don't own a boat?
... because I don't have a beard?
... because I choose to spend my weekends with my family?

Does wanting to do my own thing, in my own way, with the people I choose, make me less of man?

Or does it make me more? Does it make me me?

Today is One of the Most Important Days of Your Life

One simple message today: VOTE!

It's raining here in Destructoville today, but even if it were flooding, that wouldn't stop me from getting out to vote. We live in civilized society. We don't take down our leaders with military force. This is the closest thing we have to a coup. Today we're going to shift our government back in the right direction. It may be a small step, and one that we will need to keep making in the coming years. This election is not the end of the work. But it's a step, at least. It's a step that will say to our government that it works for us and that constant encroachment into our freedoms, into our lives and into our wallets is NOT okay. And this message goes for both Democrats and Republicans, alike. We. Will. Throw. Your. Ass. Out.

So just remember today while you're voting what the Democrats have done to our country - done to us - and have tried to do to us in the last six years, and especially in the last two. Remember Porkulus. Remember Cap & Trade. Remember Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac. Remember Czars. Remember the Health Care bill. Remember all the new fees and regulations. Remember that they refused to renew the Bush tax cuts. Remember how defiant they were toward their constituents during the town hall meetings of '09 - and then refusing to have them again in '10. Remember all the handouts of OUR money. Remember the divisiveness. Remember the constant class warfare. Remember them raising the debt ceiling - twice. Remember the recession. Remember the gutting of NASA. Remember the government takeover of Ford and GM. Remember the new 1099 regualtions. Remember that Democrats exempted themselves from most of the laws they subjected us to. And remember that Obama wanted this election to be a referendum on his policies, as well. Let it.

See you on the other side of the election, friends.

Quote of the Day

From the recently announced Mac App Store guidelines:

"Show them their world in innovative ways, and let them interact with it like never before. In our experience, users really respond to polish, both in functionality and user interface. Go the extra mile. Give them more than they expect. And take them places where they have never been before."

Damn, that's powerful.

Subtlety

Genius post from Seth Godin:

Subtle is a cousin of beautiful.

Subtle design and messaging challenge the user to make her own connections instead of spelling out every detail. Connections we make are more powerful than connections made for us. If Amazon and Zappos had been called "reallybigbookstore.com" and "tonsofshoes.com" it might have made some early investors happy, but they would have built little of value.

Subtle details demonstrate power. Instead of being in an urgent hurry to yell about every feature or benefit, you demonstrate confidence by taking your time and allowing people to explore. They don't put huge banners on the Hermes store, announcing how good the silk is and how many famous people shop there...

And subtle messaging communicates insider status. I don't have to say, "Hey I was in Skull and
Bones too! You should hire me!" Instead, a subtle (secret) handshake does all the talking that's needed.

It's tempting to turn the dial all the way to 11, the make everything just a bit louder. The opposite is precisely what you might need.

I'm aware of the oxymoronic nature of spelling out details about subtlety. At least I didn't explicitly point out the Spinal Tap reference.

What is Science?

Kayci asked yesterday what science is. This was my answer:

"Science is the art of trying to figure out how God made things work."

Micromanagement and Race Relations

From ABC News:

President Obama spoke to Shirley Sherrod, the USDA official who was ousted after a race flap, and expressed his "regret" over the events of this past week, the White House said this afternoon.

According to the White House, Obama "emphasized that [Agriculture] Secretary [Tom] Vilsack was sincere in his apology yesterday, and in his work to rid USDA of discrimination."

On Thursday morning Agriculture Department officials e-mailed Sherrod a specific job offer and today Obama told her he hoped she would take it.

Sherrod was offered a job tasked with settling lawsuits from minority farmers who say they were discriminated against in applying for farm loans. Vilsack on Wednesday said Sherrod was offered the job because she "has a unique set of skills trying to turn the page on our civil rights chapter which has been difficult."

Two questions:

1. When will Obama keep his nose out of state and local affairs, quit micromanaging and just mind the general running of the country? He had no business injecting himself into this matter. In fact, his involvement simply made this a much bigger mess than it had to be.

2. When will the race debate actually be over? The answer is when people of color - all colors - stop using race as an identifier and simply start treating people as people. By continually focusing on "black America" or "white America" people of all colors are doing a disservice to us all and to the eventual goal: a truly colorblind America. People should be judged by their capability and their character, not their skin color. It's no longer whites who are the primary keepers of racially-charged views and thinking. When everything is filtered through the lens of race, that's what makes one a racist. And by constantly crying foul on the supposed basis of race, it only furthers racial tension in this country. If those people would just let the past go and quit holding a grudge for slavery and civil injustices in the first half of last century, the better we will all be. I'm not saying that the people who lived through it should forget - quite the contrary. It has made them stronger and has made them who they are. But compared side by side, civil rights has come a hell of a long way from 1950 to 2010. And that's what's important - the present. The past is ugly, but the present and the future are a whole lot brighter, if only we would all let it be.

How Much is Not Using It Worth?

This morning, I was browsing through my applications folder and noticed my copy of Tech Tool Pro. Tech Tool is a utility that you use when something goes wrong with your computer and it needs to be fixed - volume structure corruption, data loss, etc. The point is that the only time I ever use it is when I absolutely need to to get my computer running properly again.

I paid around a hundred dollars for the utility several years ago and have paid a hundred or so more for updates a couple of times since then. That's a lot of money to spend on something I never use, right?

But how much is it worth to know that when something does go wrong that I have the tools to do it? I don't have to scramble around trying to figure out what I need and then spend time and money then trying to put things in order for me to do the job. It's the reason I keep all sorts of tools in my shed. I don't need them often, but when I do, I usually need them right then.

It's the same at work. I don't get to lead a team often, but I know I can and I have the tools to do it. In fact, there are a lot of things that I don't do a lot at work, but I'm prepared to when I need to. This week I did a hard-sell automotive statement stuffer - the kind I would have done routinely about ten years ago you know the kind: bright colors, bursts, annoying and bold typefaces, in-your-face graphics). Luckily, I haven't had to do one of those (or anything like it) in several years. But this week I did. And I was prepared.

One thing I've learned in life is that everything happens for a reason. We may not know it at the time, but it builds our character or our skill set n such a way that, even if you fail the first time, you're more prepared the next time.

I'm not saying I did seven years of hard-sell just so I would know how to do this one project. I think if anything, this one project came along to remind me that I did seven years of hard-sell and have been fortunate enough since then to do some much more fun, elegant stuff. But I had the tools. And that means a lot.

Quote of the Day...

Jack White in an interview for Relevant Magazine:

“To be with my kids every morning is such a blessing. It makes you start life all over again. It’s the best type of fulfillment, to see God in their eyes every moment you spend with them. The way they look at life is so innocent.”

"That's DOCTOR Photographer to You..."

So I get up this morning and check my e-mail and find a message waiting with the subject line "Discover just how easy a Photography Degree can be!" I click on the e-mail, and am just about to mark it as spam, when I read "learn professional techniques!"

I chuckled.

First, what in the world would anyone want to get a degree in photography for? What is the point? I can never remember asking to see the credentials of any photographer I've ever worked with. As with most creative people, it doesn't really matter much where they went to school or what they have a degree in (if they even have one - one of the best photographers I've ever known has a high school diploma). No- when working with a good photographer or any artist, you want to see their portfolio. You want to see what they can do and what they have done. And most times, it's not their formal training that matters, anyway - it's their eye. It's their style. It's their perspective.

That's what makes an artist. Besides, if I wanted to learn professional techniques, all I have to do is read one of the thousands of professional photography blogs that are available free on the internet. And then just start shooting and practicing. That's the beauty of the internet, I think. You can take up a new hobby and learn as much as you want about it for free from the best in the business, if you want to. And you can get as good as you want. For free.

And don't even get me started on the old-school film camera they showed in the ad... Digital, baby!

Reality in the Face of a Dream

Last year in October I had to turn in my budget requests for 2010 at work. I was fresh off a photography trip to the panhandle where I had just gotten to use a new zoom lens, a Canon 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS that allowed me to grab some shots that I had never been able to before because of the distance. The lens is a cheap lens for a zoom at only $250, and it's not the one I wanted. But it was the one I was told I had to get, so I got it and used it. But the images I took were really soft and the lens didn't let in much light at all. So when it came time to ask for new items in the budget, I asked for a more expensive lens, an 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, because I thought I'd be able to get a lens that had a full range of wide and zoom without having to switch lenses. At the time I priced it, it was around $650.

This was before I got the opportunity to use a couple of L-series lenses for a weekend at a work conference last month, including the Dream Lens - a 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM.

I found out last week that I had been approved $650 for a lens. But I had been doing a lot of reading since then and realized that the lens I thought I wanted wasn't going to do what I wanted it to do. No $650 lens would. I wanted a single lens that would have a full range, still be able to capture sharp images, with no distortion or - something that I've come to hate from my images being rejected from iStockphoto - chromatic aberration. In my reading I had come to the conclusion that I actually really do like the two-lens setup I have now at work. I use an 18-55 for wide stuff and group shots, which we take a lot of at work, and the 55-250 for distance shots and artistic stuff. But both my lenses are really, really crappy plastic lenses. But I'm the king of working with what I'm given, so I just did the best I could. And I think I did a pretty damn good job.

I started doing research and found out quickly that I could, in fact, get a decent lens within my budget. But I also found out that if I could convince my boss to spend about $400 more, I could get a really good lens. The thought was that I could get a good lens to replace my every day walking around lens this year and ask for a better zoom lens next year. Then, with the exception of maybe a prime lens or two, I'd have a good all-purpose setup that would work for the way I shoot at work. It was a long-term plan, but one that I felt would be money better spent in the long run.

So on Tuesday I went in to see Rodney, my boss's boss and the guy who I'd end up having to ask for the money anyway, to ask for an increase in my lens budget. I was even prepared to trade my Adobe Creative Suite CS4 upgrade - coincidentally about $400 - for the extra money for the lens. I felt that strongly about it. So I went in and gave him my pitch. I explained that a better lens would give us better images and would be more affordable in the long run. The guy is a fisherman, and I even used a fishing metaphor comparing the lens I have now to a Zebco Barbie fishing pole. I showed him my research and the reviews of the lens that I wanted. I presented him with a couple of alternatives, one priced around what I wanted that was an L-Series with a shorter range and another that was still slightly outside my budget range that would have a pretty good range at the cost of some barrel distortion and vingnetting (which that Photoshop CS4 would come in handy to fix). I was on fire. He listened to what I had to say and took the research papers that I gave him. He said he'd have to check and see and told me that he'd let me know.

I thanked him and walked out of his office, lingering for just a second at his secretary's desk to say hello. I heard him pick up the phone and say "can you come down here. James just came in and asked for a lens." Oh, crap. I knew it could only be one person - Laura, my supervisor. I went back to my desk and somehow didn't pass her in the hall on the way. I had a meeting with the vice president of the company to go to, so I started getting my papers and ideas ready for that.

A few minutes later Laura came to my desk and said "what's the big idea asking Rodney for a new lens?" I told her that he had said at the conference to come see him when we got back (I had shared with him how much fun I was having using the borrowed L-series lenses while we were at the conference a few weeks ago and had already started laying the groundwork for me to start begging and pleading for us to get some better lenses). She said that he wanted to see both of us in his office and asked if I could come down. I couldn't right at the moment because of that meeting with the VP, but said that I could immediately after. Oh, crap.

So after my meeting we went down to Rodney's office. Laura and I sat down in front of Rodney's desk, I being closer to the door in case I needed to bolt if they called security to escort me out of the building. Rodney began.

"So you want a new lens..."

Laura jumped in. "I told you he was going to say no." She had a funny tone to her voice, almost... playful?

"Let me explain my thinking." I said, prepared to go over my entire spiel again.

"Let me stop you right there." Rodney said. His face went from dead serious to a smirk. "While we were at the conference, Laura and I watched you and Matt running around like kids in a candy store drooling about how great these lenses were."

"Yeah, they were awesome" I said.

"We noticed you were having such a great time. So we decided to surprise you by buying you Jeff's lens (the borrowed 70-200mm L-series zoom)."

I chuckled. "Yeah, okay" I scoffed. I honestly thought they were joking around with me.

"I was going to order it today," Laura chimed in. "Actually, I was supposed to order it Friday but got really busy, so I was going to order it today. Then you came in here asking for a lens and so I thought we'd better sit down and talk about it before I ordered it."

They were serious. "You're serious" I think I said. "Are you serious?" Rodney handed me a paper printed from a website with the lens on it. They were serious.

"Wow. Wow. Thank you guys" I said. "Wow!"

Rodney told me all about how they had kept it a big secret and had even consulted my buddy, Jeff (the owner of the lenses and a lot of other cool toys that are worthy of their own post at a later time), and sworn him to secrecy. They told me how they had thought about asking Matt, but decided against it because they just knew he'd get excited and tip me off. Good call on their part, because I had gone to Matt to get his opinion while I was researching lenses.

"And you had to ruin our little surprise" Laura exclaimed.

"When you came in this morning I thought you had been tipped off" said Rodney. I hadn't .

"You've done a really great job with the photography and if there's something that we can do to make it even better then it's worth it," Laura said.

The room was spinning. I couldn't believe it. I had gone in to beg and plead for a thousand dollar lens and they were going to surprise me with one that cost almost double that!

"So decide which lens you want and we'll order it."

I floated back upstairs (with a quick stop at Matt's desk to tell him the story) with a decision to make. Do I go for broke and get the Dream Lens, or do I go with the lens that I had carefully researched and decided would be most versatile 95% of the time? Holy crap, my head hurt. It's not every day that someone hands you your wildest dreams (I had never even really considered asking for that lens).

So I sat down to think it out. And I thought. And I read reviews. I agonized over the decision. I talked to Matt about it. I talked to Kristi about it. And in those conversations, the realization of what would be best slowly crept up on me.

Yeah, I could get some amazing shots with the Dream Lens every now and then (like I said, about 5% of the time - but when that 5% comes, a good zoom lens comes in very, very handy). But I could use the other lens every day and really improve the shots that I shoot the most - the day-to-day shots that aren't always glamourous or end up in the annual report.

So I turned down the gift and asked for the every day lens, with the full intention of asking for the Dream Lens, actually its newly-released younger sister, next year.

I'm grateful for what my bosses tried to do for me, and I'm truly and deeply touched. I'm not sure I've ever been surprised or given such an awesome show of appreciation at work, ever. I sometimes feel unappreciated at work, and this was an enormous olive branch - something that shows me that even though I'm not out there winning awards and making some huge name for myself, that I am appreciated professionally. And that respect goes a long way.

Random Rules for Ideas Worth Spreading

From Seth Godin's blog. Incredibly true and incredibly inspiring.

If you've got an idea worth spreading, I hope you'll consider this random assortment of rules. Like all rules, some are made to be broken, but still...

• You can name your idea anything you like, but a google-friendly name is always better than one that isn't.
• Don't plan on appearing on a reality show as the best way to launch your idea.
• Waiting for inspiration is another way of saying that you're stalling. You don't wait for inspiration, you command it to appear.
• Don't poll your friends. It's your art, not an election.
• Never pay a non-lawyer who promises to get you a patent.
• Avoid powerful people. Great ideas aren't anointed, they spread through a groundswell of support.
• Spamming strangers doesn't work. Spamming friends doesn't work so well either, but it's certainly better than spamming strangers.
• The hard part is finishing, so enjoy the starting part.
• Powerful organizations adore the status quo, so expect no help from them if your idea challenges the very thing they adore.
• Figure out how long your idea will take to spread, and multiply by 4.
• Be prepared for the Dip.
• Seek out apostles, not partners. People who benefit from spreading your idea, not people who need to own it.
• Keep your overhead low and don't quit your day job until your idea can absorb your time.
• Think big. Bigger than that.
• Are you a serial idea-starting person? If so, what can you change to end that cycle? The goal is to be an idea-shipping person.
• Try not to confuse confidence with delusion.
• Prefer dry, useful but dull ideas to consumer-friendly 'I would buy that' sort of things. A lot less competition and a lot more upside in the long run.
• Pick a budget. Pick a ship date. Honor both. Don't ignore either. No slippage, no overruns.
• Surround yourself with encouraging voices and incisive critics. It's okay if they're not the same people. Ignore both camps on occasion.
• Be grateful.
• Rise up to the opportunity, and do the idea justice.

I Want to Be That Guy.

Everyone either knows someone or knows someone who knows someone who followed their dream and made it really big (I'm not talking money here) and makes a living doing exactly what they love to do on their own terms.

I don't know anyone like that, but I want to be that guy.

And I have a couple of friends who want to be that guy, too. I hope that for them, as well. I would love to know that guy, too.

The Democrat Surge

I realized this evening that the United States is currently under attack from an assault of military-like precision. Not by terrorists or by a foreign invading army, but by Democrats in Congress.

But most of the citizenry of our nation hasn't even realized it yet, and may not until the battle is over. Those that do realize it are busy trying to use diplomacy against liberty's enemy and to play fair, within the rules by conducting town halls meetings and tea parties and civilized discourse.

But make no mistake about it, what the Democrats are in the midst of is a calculated attack that they've been planning and waiting for for a long time. What we're seeing in our nation is the Democrats' surge of overwhelming force, the same way that our military surged against the insurgents in Iraq to turn the tide there. They waited until they had sufficient numbers and are in the process of mowing down the opposition.

The Democrats have been waiting for this precise moment when they have control of both houses of Congress and an unbeatable majority, the presidency and control of the federal courts. This is what they've secretly been working for for decades. And now, what appears to be a brazen attack on our very Republic and our Constitution is the result of patience and conniving.

But now that they can, they're ignoring the will of the American public and spending our tax dollars like play money, forcing federal regulation down our throats in the form of bailouts, stimulus packages, government health care, global warming initiatives such as Cap and Trade, and soon, amnesty for illegal aliens.

They are pissing on the very rules and precedents that they, themselves created in the form of House and Senate rules. And they are creating mandates, taxes, laws and regulations by the simple fiat of an unaccountable team of czars.

Their hope is that during this brief window that they can change enough of the fabric of the laws and entitlements and create enough of a sense of despair and hopelessness that we won't know where to begin to put the pieces back together and that our country will forever be thrown into the pit of Statism or Socialism or a new aristocracy or whatever you want to call it.

I feel it in the very bottom of my soul that if we become complacent and just keep on worrying about our daily lives and trusting that our nation will return to the right course that it will all be lost. We, the People, must stand up and make our voices heard in deafening ways that we will not tolerate our will and our country being remade into a bastardization of what it once was. The time for tough choices is here. It's going to be painful in the short term, but we need leaders who will stand up and say"no. this isn't right, and we're not only going to draw this line in the sand, but we're also going to eradicate all the stupidity and insidiousness that has been systematically institutionalized over the past 50 years." We must push back, and we must take back what we gave up due to complacency and apathy. We must not be ashamed to say tat we want truth, justice and the American Way back. Somewhere along the way, "the American Way" became a slur.

Friends, the American Way is liberty. It's freedom. It's individual rights. It's States Rights. It's a government By the people, FOR the people.

It's time to reclaim it and not to settle for "the lesser of two evils" any more. It's time to expect - to demand excellence and progress and innovation and character and integrity.

It's time to be Americans again.

My Thoughts on the Senate's Passage of Government Run Health Care

I guess what pisses me off more than anything is the open giddiness the Senate displayed when they successfully circumvented the will of the American people. 2010 is going to be ugly, folks, as the public attempts to rise up against these bureaucratic dictators who are intent that they know better than we do what we want. But we must not give up or give an inch. That's how they've gotten this far. There must be no compromise with people who would strip us of our freedoms.

They're drunk with power, and they've just been emboldened by their own slimy actions and by the pats on the back by the sycophantic media. We've got a long road ahead to take back our country. Every last Republican in Congress needs to keep the spine that they've shown in this debate. And we need to be even more vocal about how we feel and what we're mad about.

Ridiculous, brazen government spending of tax dollars that were extorted from us under penalty of law.
Excessive, abusive taxes.
Government interference in our daily lives.
Government waste, corruption and misrepresentation.
Refusal to stop illegal immigration.
Socialism in the United States.

Can we have an election, already?

Gatorade: A Case Study on How to Confuse Your Customers

From AdAge:

Gatorade is looking to innovate itself out of a sales slump and will spend some $30 million on product and packaging development to do so. The granddaddy of the sports-drink category is pushing forward with plans to introduce "G Series," a grouping of three product categories, while giving another facelift to its core product lines.

As part of the new product introduction, the core Thirst Quencher and G2 lines will also receive another facelift, the second in just over a year. Mr. d'Amore said the new packaging would be "more functional." The redesigned graphics will more prominently feature a low-calorie message for the G2 brand, which will have its calories reduced to 20 per 8-ounce serving, from 25. A spokesman declined to comment on the redesign of the Thirst Quencher products beyond saying that the brand is committed to G, the logo it introduced last year.

Then why change it? Gatorade, as well as its parent company Pepsi, just seems to be floundering around trying any stunt or change that will bring it sales in the short term. Pepsi reminds me of the comic book market in the '90s, when everything suddenly became about foil embossed holographic #0 die-cut covers. Everything was really, really flashy. Image comics was the worst about it. Oh, it sold boatloads of comics at first - until the novelty wore off. Pretty soon things settled back down to regular covers with story-driven issues inside. People were lured by the flash for awhile, but what people want is good, quality storylines and characters to read with their expendible money. And the same can be said of soft drinks. People are more concerned with dependable, consistent quality over the long run than a flash in the pan.

Just focus on the quality of the product, Pepsi, not gimmicks. And please develop a long-term strategy for your products that is built on the actual product rather than fads and marketing slight of hand. You're only confusing, well, everyone. And that leads to lower sales. People like the tried and true, especially in brand names they know and grew up with.

Gatorade has said this year's marketing efforts are on track, but sales and market share both fell in the first half, when the "What Is G?" marketing campaign was most prominent in the marketplace. In the first half of this year, volume dropped 18%, according to Beverage Digest, while market share dipped four points to 75%. Year-to-date volume is down 14% for the brand.

The reason both sales and market share have both fallen is because Gatorade is competing too heavily with itself and watering down the market. Al Ries said it best: "Then there’s Gatorade Tiger, with three flavors. Gatorade A.M. with two flavors. Gatorade Endurance Formula with three flavors. Gatorade Energy Bar with two flavors. Gatorade Nutrition Shake with three flavors. Gatorade Thirst Quencher with seven flavors. And Gatorade G2 with three flavors. Total: 23 flavors or varieties of Gatorade.

23 flavors? That's ridiculous. I'm assuming that includes the Gatorade Rain line. Or have they discontinued that? See what I mean? You can't just say "go get some Gatorade" anymore. It almost takes a college degree to figure out which Gatorade you want. Let me help them out: When I buy Gatorade for cycling, I still buy original Gatorade in either lemon/lime, orange or fruit punch flavors (just for variety). When I was mascotting, it was the same thing. I prefer the taste of Gatorade over Powerade, but I still stuck to those basic three flavors in the original formula. I tried the rain and the dew and the Tiger, but they didn't have the same effect that straight-up Gatorade did. And let me assure you that if there are any athletes out there who know about and value good hydration - it's mascots.

That's it. It's just that simple. Less is more. Wake up, Pepsi, and focus on why people drink your products and less on what will drive sales in the next quarter. Sales are going to slump, especially in a recession. But if you build a brand that people can depend on, the sales will be there for the long haul. Ask Coca-Cola.

"Goofing Off" Often Leads To The Best Ideas

From Harvard Business Publishing:

In an early episode of the excellent TV series Mad Men, agency partner Roger Sterling walks into creative director Don Draper's office to find Don gazing off into space.

"I'll never get used to the fact that most of the time it looks like you're doing nothing," Sterling quips.

Sterling should take comfort in the fact that our best creative work is done in times of reflection and idleness. Studies have shown that the wandering mind is more likely to have a "Eureka!" moment of clarity and creativity. Taking breaks and zoning out from everyday tasks gives our brains time to do a kind of long-term, big-picture thinking that immediate engagement with bosses and clients and email and meetings does not.

I've been trying to explain this to my boss for years to no avail. People who aren't creatives just don't get it. But its absolutely true.