Ooo...Purty

I have been thinking a lot about Design this week. I am reading Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind which asserts that left-brain directed thinking--i.e. your analytical, test-taking thought process--is no longer sufficient. Many of those jobs and tasks can now be automated or off-shored. Now there is a need for whole thinking that incorporates the logic of the left along with the emotional and aesthetic intelligence of the right.

Pink states that there are "six senses" that make up right-brain directed thinking:

1. Design
2. Story
3. Symphony
4. Empathy
5. Play
6. Meaning

I just finished the Design chapter, so I am trying to notice the details around me. I thought I would share a few of my favorite Design eye-openers of the week.

Catching up on Reading Category:
Before & After, whose slogan is "Graphic Design for Everyone," is a great publication that puts side-by-sides of printed materials before and after they get a Design overhaul. As a kid I loved looking at the glossy pages of 17 magazine with the before and after makeover pictures; this publication appeals to the same kid in me. However now it isn't makeup experimentation, but layout, fonts, and images for brochures and business cards.

Tom Kuhlman's Rapid eLearning blog is my absolute favorite blog when it comes to practical, innovative training ideas. This will really only be worth clicking on if you use Articulate software, but it is a really cool way to incorporate tables into eLearning.

Whenever I start pondering Design I have to pull out my copy of Nick Bantock's Griffin & Sabine. If you have never picked it up, I urge you to check your library. It is a beautifully illustrated love story that unfolds through post cards and letters. As the reader you actually get to reach inside envelopes to pull out letters to read.

How I Think Category
I started thinking today that there can be a high level of Design in some writing. Writing that gets me to visualize a situation or look from a completely different angle. Today I had this experience twice. My sister wrote a beautiful post about birds, yoga, and effort. I think anyone who reads it will feel instantly a little calmer. So, read it. I'm just sayin'. On the other end of the spectrum, may I recommend the blog In the Pink. Texas Monthly blogger Eileen Smith takes the days news and attacks it with a dry sense of humor and of the ridiculous.

I have a sneaky suspicion that there will be other posts about the remaining 5 of the 6 senses. In the meantime try to slow down and notice.

Inefficiency Defined

I performed my civic duty yesterday by sitting in the basement of the Justice Center all day--that's right I had Jury Duty. Fun. Fun. I was never called to a panel, I just sat and sat. Now, I am not complaining. I am glad I wasn't picked because that would have put a definite hamper on my productivity at work; however, it doesn't feel like I accomplished much for my country yesterday.

Jury trials have been around in the US since it became itself (read constitutional right). Beyond our borders jury trials date back to ancient Greece. There has been plenty of time to perfect the jury selection process. This is a modern world and it seems like there must be a more streamlined approach.

So, I did a quick google search to see if there were some brilliant ideas on how to make jury duty worthwhile and (gasp) efficient. I found nothing. However, there are plenty of articles detailing how to get out of jury duty. Hmmm.

Nature vs. Videocamera

Well, Game 7 did not go as I hoped. As part of the "dig myself out of the deep, dark, sporty depression" campaign I came across the video above entitled "octopus steals my video camera and swims off with it (while it is still recording). A little bit of octopus action-packed chase scene for your Friday.

Speaking of which you should definitely see the A-TEAM. It is one of the best action movies I've seen in a long time.

Thanks YouTube... I thoroughly enjoyed watching this. Hope it makes you smile and, of course, ponder what would you do if an octopus stole your new video camera?

Game 7...Really?

Okay, Boston. Why are you doing this to me? I was the kid in high school that gave myself faux deadlines just so that I could avoid crunch time. I don't like last minute/final chance to win/go big or go home scenarios. Why are you taking your win to the last possible moment? This is my first time to actually watch the NBA playoffs and I feel like I should be eased into this experience with a little bit of molly coddling. You say the NBA Cares! Instead you are inflicting this stress on me? I am totally justified in taking this personally.

The Sacrificial Tree

This morning I awoke blissfully to the sound of chainsaws. There is one word in the previous statement that is patently untrue. I'll leave you to guess while I give some back story.

I have been sick with the flu for the past few days. On Wednesday night there was a big storm and within 5 minutes of the wind picking up the large tree in front of my house decided to sacrifice a piece of itself to the storm gods. This is not a first; rather it seems to be becoming a habit. Not that long ago...the last big storm actually... this same tree decided to sacrifice a huge branch onto the roof of my house. Luckily, no injuries other than the roof, eaves, and attic. This time another large branch did a storm swan dive. It fell away from the house (thank you) and took down power lines and took up half of the rather busy street on which I live.

This storm took out power for over 60,000 homes in SA, TX, so I was grateful my power stayed on. However, since there were live power lines and a huge tree blockade the police and fire engine parked with lights on right outside my window all night. "Trying to sleep in a disco," as my neighbor Sara so aptly put it. They also put up Crime Scene tape in my front yard...Double Awesome. Right after the tree event I tried (repeatedly) to call the electricity company but it was busy. Finally with my fever spiking and exhaustion setting in I told my neighbors to keep trying and then figured the police and firemen probably had a more direct line to the company...

All day Thursday, my day was interspersed with knocks on the door from guys with lawn agencies ready to chop up a tree that was still mingled with live wires and with sirens from police and fire trucks. I have a sneaky suspicion that no one in these agencies talks to each other. These officials would show up, look at crime scene tape, call back up (more sirens), wander around, set flares, and finally realize they couldn't do anything because of the live wires. That night I finally tried City Public Services (unfortunate acronym, I know) to check on the status of getting these wires cleared.

I explained the situation and that I knew someone else had already reported it, but that I wanted to know if there was any time line for when it would be cleared up... "Um, honey. No one else has reported anything on that street." What? All those sirens and nuthin'? Later that night, CPS did send out a truck and removed the wires. Which brings us to this morning's wake up call. I mean, I'm glad that the traffic will finally quit honking at each other trying to maneuver the tree, but c'mon!

Unfortunately the image at the top of the article is not entirely accurate. This tree still has two huge branches just waiting for the next storm. Will my landlord do something or just wait and see how the cookie (i.e. massive tree) crumbles? Only time will tell.