Painting the Roses Red
Think about what you studied in college, or, if you didn't go to college, the industry in which you currently work. I'm going to assume, like most academic fields, that's it probably very boring. It might be technical, business-related, or maybe one of the social sciences. Here's my question: would it be possible for you to write a book or start a blog that made the topic interesting not only to people working within the...
When Opportunity Knocks
We're told to listen to make sure we don't miss it when opportunity knocks on our door. The implication, then, is that we should sit idly by and wait for opportunity to come to us. That's not entirely a bad thing, because some days, we just need to relax and passively dream. I've had plenty of Sundays where I sat around, wishing the opportunity to be a part of something would present itself to me,...
Six Degrees of Inspiration
A lot of us don't try very hard to make a positive impact on those around us because we don't believe that we hold positions of influence. Let's face it: most of us are not movie stars or very rich. The problem with the Six Degrees of Separation theory is the name. It's actually the Six Degrees of Connection. Think about it. Six degrees of influence, of expressing respect or gratitude, of demonstrating humanity. It...
Turning Friends into Leads
Shortly after graduating from college, I got a rather unexpected call from an acquaintance with whom I went to high school and attended college. (We were both business majors, so we shared a few classes.) After some small talk and kicking around the idea of meeting up for a beer one night, I found myself wondering why he was bothering to call me. We hadn't spoken much in college, and weren't particularly good friends. Why...
Bringing Jello To Market
Imagine that you're living in the past, 120 years ago and you invent this thing called "Jell-O". It's something that a few people are aware of, but it doesn't have mainstream appeal. You figure out a way of mass producing it, and then set about trying to get it into grocery stores around the United States. You start locally, by going to the grocers in your city. Imagine how that conversation would go. You explain...
The Solar Fashion Challenge
We have the technology that enables us to harness the power of the sun, even on days that aren't sunny, all over the world. If you own a home, you can throw a bunch of solar panels onto your roof, absorbing and storing kilowatt hours in your basement that saves you money on your utility bills. People are doing it now, but it's not nearly as ubiquitous as you might expect, considering how beneficial it...
Social Media's Eternal Flame
Imagine that you've just been diagnosed with a terminal disease and you're given six months to a year to live. What would you do? The question itself is kind of a cliche, people don't want to think about it, and most of us that aren't facing the gravity of the situation for real probably can't say for certain. Randy Pausch was a professor who, facing that situation, left behind a lecture and a book full...
Aspiring Filmmakers and Bill Watterson
I think this project is really interesting: Dear Mr. Watterson An independent filmmaker wanted to make a film about the impact that the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes" had on his own life, as well as on the lives of so many others. He set out to make a documentary film about the strip, by compiling people's stories about how the strip affected them. The documentary is meant to serve as dedication and thanks to...
President’s Volunteer Service Award
This past weekend, my girlfriend brought this to my attention: if you volunteer your time helping a non-profit or charity for 100 hours or more over the course of a 12-month period, you receive an award from the President of the United States, called the President’s Volunteer Service Award. You get a pin, a certificate, and a letter of recognition from Barack Obama. You can read the details about it here. I know that times...
On the Facebook Facelift
Recently, Facebook updated its layout yet again, which was followed by the inevitable wave of status updates complaining about how much the changes sucked. I'm a web programmer for a company that has a consumer-facing web application, and a large part of my job is creating parts of the user interface. I don't think that makes my opinion any more authoritative than the next person's, but I would like to share what I believe Facebook...