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izontheprize
I'm a bright, happy seeker with a beautiful daughter.
Interests: spirituality, civil rights, honesty, family, dancing, hip hop music, people
Recent Activity
izontheprize is now following HawkGirl
Dec 28, 2020
izontheprize is now following The Typepad Team
Mar 15, 2010
I suppose if one were properly aroused the penis-ipod thing might actually work...
How to Write Funny
A couple years ago Scott Adams laid out the keys to writing funny. It's excellent advice. A few up-front points about humor: A company's or an executive's ability to deploy humor is an undervalued asset in the business world. It is rare to find someone who is very funny and not smart. My two ma...
izontheprize is now following Tim Keane
Jan 14, 2010
Yes, it made me cry. Way cool!!
Inspirational Video of the Day
Between watching this video on YouTube (embed below) and the all-time classic movie Wedding Crashers, I'm pretty stoked for my own wedding some day. (hat tip Jon Bischke)
Saved by the Bell needed Screech
Nirvana needed Kurt Cobain
The Bulls needed Rodman
The Democratic party needs Howard Dean
And any group needs me
Theory seems to make sense
Every Group Needs an Outcast
The always interesting Bill Simmons, in his recent ESPN.com column, rejects the usual line that superstars like A-Rod or Barry Bonds, while cancers in the clubhouse in one sense, are on the whole destructive to team unity. On the contrary, the "guy everyone hates" can be helpful in fostering tea...
Thanks for the note, I actually adopted it and left it 2 years ago.
I re-adopted it about a year ago and I couldn't agree with you more.
The power of firefox
Internet explorer is a thing of the past for me. Firefox is tremendous and the speed of the open source development around it is amazing. I've written before how the speed of innovation had outpaced the need of the end users and I still believe that. But one thing occurred to me. Firefox is m...
What I think is quite humorous is to study the higher income folks at these so called privliges of the wealthy as they fall asleep.
They are paying to be seen there not to see the event.
Do Wealthy People Consume High Culture to Signal Their Wealth?
I am a student of social interactions in groups. I love observing how people's behavior change when they are in the presence of certain types of people. Covert signaling is a main part of our social interactions. In Silicon Valley, for example, people love to signal how busy they are ("I'll find...
It seems to me that self-deprecation is an unforutnate and misguided attempt at humility. I don't think there is anything wrong with suggesting I am skilled at something. The added spice like "I'm not the best in the world.." that creeps in is usually a product of my conditioning.
Was it too boastful for Jesus to say "I am the way, the truth and the light"? I don't think so, because for me, we all are. Assuming he said it, he didn't need to follow it up with, "...but that's just me and you know me, I think I'm some kind of savior or something, I mean I'm speaking like I actually know something!" ha!
I don't take myself too seriously which helps.
Self-Deprecation vs. Self-Bashing
Perhaps the single biggest divider between the good and the great is self-confidence. So I hate when people aren't self-confident. I hate being around someone who says, "Because I'm so lazy..." or "I'm such a terrible writer so..." or "I totally suck at this so..." or "I'm always scatterbrained ...
Thanks for posting this Ben, particularly the video from Tucker Carlson (who if you haven't seen it had one of the most interesting live interactions I've ever seen with Jon Stewart). I also noticed Tucker ditched the bowtie.
I wonder if he thinks that given the nature of her profession if perhaps juries or others should consider anything said by a CEO these days to be tainted given the sultry acts of a few....
It's a super clear example of exactly how divided our society is.
Why We Think We're Dispassionate About the Duke Case
I have friends who are going to Duke next year. I also am fascinated by race, gender, and poverty, the three age old issues which have torn and continue to tear this country apart. If you want to understand why I've stopped trying to follow "the facts" involving the Duke lacrosse stripper scanda...
Singular focus on anything is challenging. Try just walking down the street. The BB + driving in any situation just feels downright dangerous.
Hold on, let me take a bite, while I avoid this accident and change lanes
I read an article today that suggested that multi-tasking while driving triples the risk of an accident versus attentive motorists. It reminds me of one time when I was exchanging emails with my oldest bro down in Santa Monica. After 3 back and forths I realized he was on his blackberry respond...
Agreed, but I guess it's particuarly vexing to be so publicly incongruent.
Whose up for Foosball...Beuhler?
So I started a new consulting assignment with a second big company and I happen to notice this morning that there is a foosball and ping pong table where the cafeteria is. I couldn't help but notice the thick layer of dust covering these virtually cover these surreal manifestations of "employee...
Well, I suppose it isn't the first time we've had an actor for a governor (see Ronald Reagan).
Your potty mouth is excused of course. Brunch was great.
I asked Zoe what she ordered and she looked at me with her eyes wide open and said:
"I ordered plain scrambled eggs, not too hot."
She got that and ate them all!!
LA Story; TT & Gov. Schwarzenegger
I had brunch at a place called Ivey (or was it Ivy...who knows) in Santa Monica this weekend. It was as LA as it gets. I couldn't help myself when I saw Arnold Schwarzenegger. As he left the restaraunt and stood outside waiting for his car at the valet stand, I walked out to shake his hand (...
I'm interested to know whether that is an example of auto-pilot or consistency.
I will be on full "auto-pilot" alert Wednesday at lunch.
Transparency Takes You Off Autopilot
When I meet with people who read my blog regularly, auto-pilot is not an option. You know auto-pilot -- it's reciting your stock lines, fun facts, or personal biography in the way you've always done it. Maybe someone asks you a question about X and, when you're in auto-pilot, you search your me...
You're welcome Naomi, I am so glad I was able to share it with you. You are just like Sakai and Kevin, all about love, and I'm down with that my friend.
Sakai and the twins flowing love!!!
Last night I was lucky enough to catch a performance by a lyrical queen named Sakai (pronounced Sah-keye as in eye) at Yoshi's over in Oakland. Her performance was electrifying. In particular, she had co-written a song with her husband Kevin (known as Darkside) that told their tale of how they...
You're right, fyi, on the AOL analogy (and they made an AWFUL lot of money doing it that way). What I would prefer not to see is the day job guy inventing delicious and then someone just taking it and making money like the AOL's.
It just seems that the developers, somehow should be organizing themselves. Ultimately, I suppose all their innovation is just going to be copied and I suppose they are cool with that.
TDO Part II
A few weeks back I wrote about my paralyzing state of Tech Diffusion Overload (TDO). Stasis still permeates my being. I challenge anyone to name me the next huge start-up. (Except for a friend of mine named Bob Bozeman who, when lots of folks thought it made no sense was an angel investor in G...
Pursue purchasing the enterprise bathroom or pursue my since proven unsuccessful comedic talents? Thanks amiga.
My one sure-fire joke...
My last post on JG's toilet brought to mind my short lived and less than successful career as a stand up comedian. I had one joke that I could tell that I was CERTAIN would get at least a laugh out of one audience member. (I could always rely on one Trekkie in the audience) What did Dr. Spock ...
Might I just say....true dat?
TDO Part II
A few weeks back I wrote about my paralyzing state of Tech Diffusion Overload (TDO). Stasis still permeates my being. I challenge anyone to name me the next huge start-up. (Except for a friend of mine named Bob Bozeman who, when lots of folks thought it made no sense was an angel investor in G...
Check out www.prosper.com if you want a brand new slant on making moeny.
Book Review: Winning the Loser's Game: Timeless Strategies for Successful Investing
I don't know much about investing. But I'm learning fast. Now that I'm a majority citizen, I've been setting up credit cards, high interest saving accounts, checking account, and a long-term investment account/portfolio. I'm not doing this because I obsess about money. I'm doing it because with ...
Thanks. Honesty is where it is at...
Now what do I do?
Since I am active in the angel investing circuit in the bay area I often encounter the financially, professionally, publicly, etc. uber-successful business leader now acquiescing to the energy of what everyone else like them is doing. For years these individuals have had companies, sort of by de...
Thanks Ben. The quality and importance of ideas, knowledge, actions, words, thoughts, etc. seem to be a matter of frame of reference.
And, that's where division begins that will ultimately lead to conflict.
I think about 9/11 and consider that while one person in America sees it as a terrible idea based on faulty knowledge done by an evil person.
The people hijacking the planes thought the idea was awesome (both in intent and execution) based on divine knowledge carried out by a hero.
I guess energy of any act, thought, word, etc. is neutral. I can choose whether or not I want to make it mean something.
What's weird or strange or...
Many of the conversations that I have include the person I'm talking to sharing how they feel about all types of things. It's been that way for me since I was a kid. My heart and soul opens immediately when the person marginalizes themselves by saying "It's just me, I'm weird." or "I'm stran...
And the 37 year old who is a juvenile teenager in SF laughs....hysterically. That is priceless bud.
Junto...don't pronounce it...attend it!!
I love when anyone steps up to try something. I love it even more when I know and respect the person. I love it even MORE when the new endeavor has an end that is not totally clear and certain to be inspiring in some way. With the triple love intro, I recommend that you check out Junto which i...
You are the world
You are the children
You are the one who makes a brighter day so let's start giving....
Europe by way of China
Several years back, I was waiting out in front of a local Chinese restaurant and I noticed a small sign out front. I took a picture and to ths day it still brings a smile to my face immediately. It says: Heaven is where the police are British, the cooks French, the mechanics German, the lovers ...
Laughter (as long as it's not divisive) is the ultimate connector.
A rather unusual take on it (and quite hilarious) was Ricky Gervais in The Office whose character was giving a motivational speech and mentioned the power of laughter.
He started laughing and tried to get others to join, didn't work and it was priceless.
BTW, none of this really matters B.
Laughing is the Best Stress Buster
I woke up this morning stressed. Was up late last night with a litany of work and feeling a tad overwhelmed. I made a conscious effort to laugh a lot in my first class. 45 minutes later, the stress that previously managed to rumble my stomach had melted away, and I went on to have just another g...
That doesn't surprise me one bit. And by the way....thank you for introducing a new word into my vocab...banal....too cool.
Theatrical Cell Phone Revenge
I am a fan of cell phones without question. I do believe, however, they have contributed to the exponential degradation of manners in the society in which I live. To that end, I read that theater owners are lobbying to allow them to jam cell phones during movies. I can understand that sometime...
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