“Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children,” said a statement from Cruise’s rep on Friday. “Please allow them their privacy.” — Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes divorcing – TODAY Entertainment Again the press release asking for privacy. ATTENTION EVERYONE! A LITTLE PRIVACY PLEASE! If not for the press release, who would know or care about this? I’ve got my own problems, thank you. And it’s another blow to the theory, believed by many, that having a lot of money, free time and famous friends is a guaranteed ticket to happiness. No one’s life is a fairy tale, no matter what it looks like . . . Read more →
June 2012
You, Me and Him
I daydream. You’re an escapist. He ought to see a psychiatrist. Read more →
An Egyptian Trojan
Mohamed Morsi, the new president of Egypt, has a graduate degree from USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering — just like me! I feel a personal connection with events in the Middle East. Related articles Mohamed Morsi Is Elected President of Egypt (mashable.com) Read more →
Nora Ephron, 1941-2012
Annie Hall is a Rembrandt. When Harry Met Sally… is a Thomas Kincade. Rob Reiner is horrible. R.I.P. Nora Ephron Read more →
Don Grady, 1944-2012
R.I.P. Don Grady, aka Robbie Douglas Related Links Mouseketeer, My Three Sons Star Don Grady Dies Read more →
Satan on Rodney King
Rodney King’s fiancee was not invited to his funeral?! This is too much! I’m still dealing with the shock of learning that he had a swimming pool. I saw Al Campanis this morning and he said to me, “I hate to say I told you so . . .” Read more →
Two of the Strangest Mental Disorders Ever
Cotard’s Syndrome – The patient believes he is dead. Capgras Syndrome – The patient believes that a friend, spouse, parent, or other close family member has been replaced by an identical-looking impostor. The second one reminds me of the old Steven Wright joke: “Last night somebody broke into my apartment and replaced everything with exact duplicates … When I pointed it out to my roommate, he said, ‘Do I know you?’” Read more →
More Fun at Border Crossings
“Where are you folks from?” the border agent asks. “Irvine, California.” “How long were you in Canada?” “About half a day.” “Why such a short stay?” “We’re staying in Seattle for a few days and just came up for a visit.” “How do you like this cold weather?” “No big deal. I grew up in cold weather.” My son makes a sputtering noise in the back seat. “Is he okay?” the agent asks. “Well, unfortunately he’s got irreversible brain damage to his frontal lobes. We still love him though.” “Is anyone in the car carrying $10,000 or more in cash?” “American dollars or Canadian?” “American.” “I wish.” “Is that a yes or a no, sir?” “Sorry. No.” After we pass through the border check, the boy says in a mocking tone, “‘I grew up in cold weather.’ In La Mirada.” “La Mirada is subject to extreme temperature fluctations,” I reply.… Read more →
A Timeless Message
He that goeth about to persuade a multitude that they are not so well off as they ought to be, shall never want attentive and favorable hearers. — Richard Hooker, 16th-century English theologian Read more →
Customer Discovery and Customer Validation
Ask yourself these questions: Do these users in your user stories exist and have you ever spoken to them? How are these features helping your customers achieve their goals? Are these benefits based on any quantitative or qualitative data? — The Product Owner’s Dilemma | Scrumology Read more →
In America, Anyone Can Be President … Uh, Not So Fast There, Mr. Antichrist
While more than nine in 10 Americans would vote for a presidential candidate who is black, a woman, Catholic, Hispanic, or Jewish, significantly smaller percentages would vote for one who is an atheist (54%) or Muslim (58%). Americans’ willingness to vote for a Mormon (80%) or gay or lesbian (68%) candidate falls between these two extremes. — Atheists, Muslims See Most Bias as Presidential Candidates I fear that I won’t live to see a gay atheist in the Oval Office. In other findings, far more Americans are open to voting for a black presidential candidate (96%) than for a Mormon (80%). Blacks also poll higher than women (95%), Catholics (94%) and Jews (91%), although those percentages are within the margin of sampling error. Read more →
Happy Summer Solstice!
Hi everybody! It’s me, Lightning! Happy Solstice! Wait — what?! It was yesterday? Well . . . Happy Belated Solstice! — Lightning Read more →
Frenchies
Source: google.com.au via Mara on Pinterest Read more →
Aside
Fun at border crossings: Have one person in the car hold their breath and pretend to be dead. See if the attendant asks any questions.
— Paul Epps (@paulepps) June 18, 2012
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ShortList Magazine: The 50 Coolest Book Covers Ever
Aside
Jessica Hagy: The Six Enemies of Greatness (and Happiness)
The First Follower
Now, if you notice that the first follower is actually an underestimated form of leadership in itself. It takes guts to stand out like that. The first follower is what transforms a lone nut into a leader. If you really care about starting a movement, have the courage to follow and show others how to follow. And when you find a lone nut doing something great, have the guts to be the first one to stand up and join in. — Derek Sivers: How to start a movement | Video on TED.com Read more →
Another Guy Who Didn’t Get the Memo on the American Dream
Kennedy Odede grew up in Kibera, a slum in Kenya where more than one million people live in an area the size of New York City’s Central Park without sewage systems, roads, or access to basic health care and education. And on Sunday, May 27th, he stood proudly before his graduating class with honors, and gave the commencement address. He became the first person from Africa’s largest slum to graduate from an American University. — From an African slum to Wesleyan University – The Daily Nightly Sounds like another guy who didn’t get the memo that America is “no longer the land of opportunity” and “the ‘American dream’ is a myth.” Read more →
The Person Who Says It Can’t Be Done Is Interrupted By The Person Doing It
In his latest book, The Price of Inequality, Columbia Professor and Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz examines the causes of income inequality and offers some remedies. In between, he reaches some startling conclusions, including that America is “no longer the land of opportunity” and “the ‘American dream’ is a myth.” — The ‘American Dream’ Is a Myth: Joseph Stiglitz on ‘The Price of Inequality’ “If there is anybody at all who has a dream, then they can definitely make it happen,” she told WBTV. “There are no excuses. It depends on you and no one else.” — Dawn Loggins: Homeless, Abandoned Teen Heads to Harvard – Yahoo! Shine The second link above goes to a story about Dawn Loggins, an 18-year-old girl from Lawndale, NC, who, after her mother and stepfather left the state without her and she was dropped by her grandmother at a local homeless shelter, “just made a… Read more →
Girl Walk // All Day
This is delightful . . . Read more →