It used to be that you couldn’t map an idea, that you couldn’t plot its trajectory. It used to be that you couldn’t identify the connectors and the mavens. It was an obscure talent that it took to spot trends. It took skill. Now, it takes a search bar. There …
Every holiday season, I am flabbergasted by the number of commercials that involve surprising a loved one with a car. They put bows on them, reveal them from behind enormous stockings, and often there are blindfolds involved. Each time the surprised husband or wife looks at the car, I get a little …
I am the type of person that likes getting to a movie at least thirty minutes before it is scheduled to start. I do this in order to make absolutely sure that I will not miss the coming attractions before the feature film. Previews get me more excited for watching movies than …
Databases are magic. The front end of every website that you go to is based upon a layer of databases working hard in the background. Each database holds the keys to your passwords and to your conversations. They are the places that context is captured and value is assessed. With …
I have been saving everything for years. I have been cataloguing the world around me and saving it for later. I have been tagging it with what makes sense to me and writing myself little notes as searchable reminders of what I had found. I have been littering the the web with …
I feel like I am wearing a fleshy overcoat. My belly that has never been a problem for me is now hanging uncomfortably over my belt. I see myself in the mirror and I wonder who where the 30 inch waist I had in college went to. And then I …
For some an inheritance of recipes is the most tangible transfer of knowledge from one generation to another. These are the recipes that are whispered in hushed tones when others are around. They are the ones that get made every year for special occasions, the signature dishes that are given …
Conference calls are nightmares. The bond between caller and callee is totally broken when everyone dials in to a third party. In reality, it is no one’s call. We are all held hostage by the lack of body language and overabundance of ambient noise. The phone is a technology that we …
Image via Wikipedia My entire family has booming footsteps. The first time that my wife stayed over at my parents house during the holidays, she thought that a band of warrior giants had taken over the entire first floor. She believed that there was something drastically wrong with my family. …
When we have impending due dates that seem to be getting closer and closer. When we have dozens of unwatched television shows on the DVR. When climb up and down the stairs to try and put our children to bed a dozen times and we can’t hold a consistent thought …