HAPPY NEW YEAR

In 2009 I'd like to blog more.

But as they say: if nothing's going in, nothing's going to come out. In an effort to feed a bit more content into brain, and thus inspire new content for the blog, I'm going to have to read more in the new year.

If you're unfamiliar with my history with reading, it goes something like this:

Age 0-14 Voracious appetite for reading and being read to.

Age 15-24 Only read when absolutely necessary (textbooks).

Age 25-27 Read one or two books each month. Rotated between fiction and non-fiction. Lots of Tom Robbins, Dave Eggers/McSweeneys stuff, some Classics. Typically read before falling asleep as a way to wind down at the end of the day.

Age 28 Got so good at winding down by reading, that I'm no longer able to stay awake if there is a book in hand. I can read, at a maximum, 4 pages before falling asleep. And those last two pages are read in a state of semi-consciousness. So usually I have to read 2 pages back in order to remember where I left off the night before, for a net of 2 pages/night. This explains why my entire reading for 2009 consists of 3/4 of a single book.

Have a great night tonight. I hope all your dreams come true.

In case you thought you were talented

This timely gem (first published in 1987 and most recently updated in 2006! Nice find Brad!) is worth a few minutes to read/watch: www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/savant_syndrome/savant_profiles/stephen_wiltshire

Stephen Wiltshire is a autistic artist who draws (mainly architecture) from memory, with ridiculous accuracy. And not just single buildings. One of the main methods he uses is to do a one-time flyover of a city (he's done this in London, Rome and Hong Kong) in a helicopter, then spend the next few days mapping the entire city out on a mural. He usually gets the number of windows in each building correct. Everything is to scale.

If someone wants to buy me a print or something, please do so here: http://www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk/

Oh and then there was the time he decided to sing and found out he has perfect pitch and is a genius in music theory and all that.

But you're talented too. Really.

Awesome. Looking forward to it.

High of -3 (-25 celsius) in Chicago today. With blowing snow, winds 0f 20-30 mph.

Can't wait.

Radio silence

Many of you (ok 2 of you) have lamented the disappearance of er/uk.

I have no idea where the guy is.

He hasn't stopped by for a few weeks but I did get a text from him the other night. He told me he had a great nap at the opera on Tuesday.

I'll keep my eyes peeled. If anyone has heard anything from him please let me know. I'm not worried... yet.

Warmest regards,
Eric

*Ah, we laugh

A colleague pointed me to research which shows that children smile/laugh an average of 400x per day, while adults smile/laugh an average of 14x per day.

Age brings responsibility, responsibility brings stress, blah blah blah. Children judge their surroundings not by layoffs/bailouts/politics/terror alert levels but by the immediate availability of food, shelter, freedom, napping, and love -- things we ultimately still (most likely) have in excess as adults.

With that in mind, I defy you to watch the following clips with a straight face.







And this one is the absolute best.



I think I'm becoming Oprah.

*I couldn't remember where this quote came from. I was thinking it had to be from a movie -- then I remembered that it came from a former co-worker. He was called into the bosses office on a Friday afternoon. As he walked by my desk I said, jokingly, "Nice working with you." On his way back past my desk several minutes later he said "Ah, we laugh." Then he packed his belongings into a box and disappeared forever.

The best two albums I bought last Monday

I was 2/2.

The Acorn- Glory Hope Mountain
www.theacorn.ca
Canadians, eh? I've already described them as a poor man's Fleet Foxes. A bit more mellow and not so focused on harmonies, but more reflective and I like the storytelling angle of the album.

Ladyhawke - Delirium
www.ladyhawkemusic.com
Aussie chick. Loves cats. Loves the synth. Might as well be a Lauper reissue from the 80s. Really listenable the whole way through. Lots of catchy hooks. Happy music. Cut Copy for girls.

Today at lunch

I go to this place that sells pasta by the cup. That's convenient, because it's easy to transport. You don't need a bag or anything to carry it.

Except that they give you a paper bag and even look incredulous if one would dare to turn it down. They also give you, by default, a plastic fork, and a million napkins along with a receipt. People seemed to like the little paper bag. When their pasta was ready, they placed the sealed cup in the bag, carried it back approximately one block to their office building, to their desk, then threw the bag away.

So let's recap: one serving of pasta. one small paper bag. one cup. one fork. one million napkins. one receipt.

Really? Is that necessary? I don't need a receipt. I definitely don't need a bag. I need one napkin (although I do know people who require more than one. In fact I know people who would benefit from changing into a full-body napkin before coming within a 10 foot perimeter of food).

So much of our economy is industries of waste. Packaging, then disposal.

In Germany you pay extra for packaged goods, but get the money back on return (of a bottle, say). If you leave a bottle in the street, someone will pick it up IMMEDIATELY and return it. The upfront cost is like a rental. If you want to be lazy, someone else will benefit from that, but in the end the bottle will be recycled as it should be.

Why can't we just do that everywhere, for everything? I'm sure a stupid little pasta cup carrier bag costs a few cents. Make me pay a few more cents/pence if I want the stupid little pasta cup carrier bag or give me a discount if I refuse it. Either way I am incentivized to be responsible/practical.

And maybe that encouraged common sense would spread into other things. The economic message we've received is pretty clear -- the way things are run at the moment is not sustainable. That includes some businesses but mostly the way that many businesses are run (helloooo GM and most financial service companies).

There is a bright side. That bright side is that there is a whole new economy that can emerge from a new focus on resourcefulness and efficiency. I feel like a few good ideas (not big, just inspired) could change our behavior for the better. I just hope I think of one before some other jerk does.