Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Lost art of the business card................



The startup era has uprooted a lot of genteel business customs. There was the firm handshake, the gray flannel suit, the quaint courtesy of eye contact—and now, it looks like the business card is coming into the crosshairs.


This Chicago Tribune piece lays it out in detail, but the gist is simple: after email signatures, you don’t need them, so fewer and fewer people are bothering to print them up at all.


But we’d like to offer a word of warning to anyone thinking of going paperless: when you give up your stack of cards, you’re giving up something much more precious than paper. You’re giving up control…


Here’s an example: the above card is from Warren Buffett’s second-in-command—his enforcer, you might say—who gave it to an Observer reporter as part of a legendary burn detailed here. You see, this isn’t her real card. Notice how there’s no number? This is the “******” card, the one you give to people you don’t want to hear from.


It’s an advanced move from an advanced player, and that’s just the beginning. There are private numbers, usually scrawled on the back with an expensive pen. There are separate emails, or code words to drop into your subject line. But it’s hard to play the game if you’re limited to a few lines at the bottom of an email, and even the most exclusive email in the world doesn’t compare to the glamour of a well-printed rectangle of paper.


Seen in that light, the decline of the business card isn’t such bad news. With fewer cards on the block, it’ll be easier for yours to stand out. Just pick up a good one, and be stingy about handing it out.


And while you’re at it, maybe prune your email signature.
—R.B.


Thank you to Kempt.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Great drugs according to Nicholas Bate.............

TheGreatestDrugsThePlanetHasToOfferTheFinestMindsSeven.

Contemplation. Have you ever-you know-really, really contemplated stuff? Wandered off and wondered? Sat on an empty, blowy beach? Or an early morning church before anyone arrives? Or late, late walking back through town with a slight drizzle? To contemplate: to wonder, to realise, to appreciate. A gentle, affirmative drug.

Fitness. Have you ever-you know-been really, really fit? The sort of fit that when you pull off the gloves at the end of the round there is no way you can pick them up for a while. The sort of fit that the next day you find you have so much power in your arms those bags are a breeze. The energy gives you extreme focus. E-mail? You have to be joking. To be fit: you at your best, extreme focus, reserves of energy. A life-enhancing, ever-buzzing drug.

Writing. Have you ever-you know-really, really written until your heart and soul and gut yell stop? The sort of writing when finally your demons pack up and go annoy someone else. The sort of writing where you find what you were looking for. The sort of writing which parallels your breathing. To write: to discover who you really are, to remove your blockers, to live. An enlightenment drug.

Romance. Have you ever-you know-really, really looked into her eyes and realised that you are falling in love all over again? The sort of look that goes deep into the soul? The connection that goes way beyond 'I love you' and transcends all discussions about children's schooling. To be romantic: to discover what was always there in a person, to let go, to be alive. A fun drug.

Laundry. Have you ever-you know-really, really really done that washing and ironing brilliantly? Let go of the irritation, frustration and annoyance at wasting your time. But selected correct washes. Learnt how to iron. And folded and stacked better than an Amazon warehouse robot. Zen and The Art of Doing the Laundry. To do the laundry: to stay grounded, to appreciate the smalll things, to love quality for its own sake. The Zen drug.

Foreign Lands. Have you ever-you know-really, really got to know that foreign place? Walked that dusty market place? Sat in that cafe during the siesta? Read their literature. Have you wondered how it might be like to think that way? To hold those things important? To have generated that art? To visit foreign lands is to expand your mind, to learn to value other ways of thinking and to remind what's so precious about home. A mind-expanding drug.

Today. Have you ever-you know-really, really just got it done? No longer talked about it? But done it. No longer considered it. But done it. The buzz of action. The buzz of now. The buzz of fulfillment. To do things today is to realise who you are and who you want to become. What a cool drug.

Click here to check out Nicholas Bate.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day..........

In time for your St. Patrick's Day celebration this Saturday, may we suggest an upgrade? Here's how to make your own version at home, from just mint ice cream, Oreos, and whipped cream. And several shots of Jameson. You're welcome. [via CNN Eatocracy]

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Could 'Draping" become bigger than 'Tebowing?'



First there was "Icing" and "Planking," followed by "Owling," "Coning," "Razorbombing," and "Batmanning." Lest you thought you'd seen every ridiculous viral sensation under the sun, now, just in time for Mad Men's premiere next week, someone seems to be trying to drum up interest in making "Draping" a meme.


Check out this Tumblr featuring photos of people draping on park benches, in laundromats--even in the Oval Office--and it will explain all.


AMC referred to the Tumblr site today on its Twitter feed saying, "#Draping > #Tebowing."


Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Casnova..................


Thank you to Aunt Bonnie for passing this along.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

NASA pops a water balloon................


Thank you to @marklabutis for passing this tweet along.

Friday, March 2, 2012

New season coming, but the players are not like they use to be.............


Many baseball scouts called the young Mickey Mantle the most talented prospect they’d ever seen, and he justified their confidence in his myriad abilities on the field and at the plate by reaching the big leagues in 1951 at the tender age of 19. The next season, at 20, he replaced Joe DiMaggio as the Yankees’ center fielder and finished third in MVP voting.

The rise and fall of Mickey Mantle — from gullible country boy to big city superstar to faded, injury-ravaged icon playing out his last games as a shadow of his former, prodigious self — has been told countless times. Here, LIFE presents a quick tour through The Mick’s life, on the field and off, hoping to provide a glimpse into why one player won the hearts of so many fans across so many years … and what the arc of a star athlete’s life can look like when the stands empty and the fans go home.