Fixing a small problem

If you ever tried to connect a USB cable to a computer you have experienced the following problem: it is very hard to tell which side of the cable is supposed to face up. There is a 50% chance you are going to get it wrong and while it is not the end of the world, it is pretty annoying.

I am suggesting a simple change that would make all the difference: they should write prominently on the plug which side should face up. Simple.

It is just surprising to me that no one has ever made it prominent enough to avoid the hastle. 

This is my contribution to a better world :)

Collage - Belt Line

This is a juxtaposition of 8 photos taken 5 minutes apart from one another using an iPhone 4.

Location:Belt Line, Toronto at Yonge and Davisville.

Sights of Boston

Borrowed inspiration

Some time ago I wrote a post on originality vs. authenticity. I am a firm believer that nothing is really original. Every creative process borrows from many different sources and the result is something authentic, not original. 

The series Everything is a Remix is the most interesting video I watched this year. A careful examination of famous artists, their work and their creative process.

As Jean-Luc Godard used to say It’s not where you take things from, it’s where you take them to.

You can also watch Part 2 and Part 3.

Everything is a Remix Part 1 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

High Line and Chelsea Market, New York

One of the biggest surprises on this trip to New York was our visit to the High Line and the Chelsea Market. I'd even say that it is was probably the highlight of our trip.

Located on the lower west side, the High Line is a 1.6 KM aerial greenway that extends from Gansevoort St. (close to the 14th) and 34th. The path was built on top of a section of the former elevated freight railroad spur called the West Side Line. It is a wonderful green space with lots of water fountains, flowers, trees, tables and beach chairs. It feels surreal to walk along a suspended park in the middle of a very busy area of New York, the Meatpacking district. The view from there is also spectacular. You can see the water on the west side and the hustle and bustle of the Chelsea neighborhood on the east side. The High Line has tons of great architectural features and the visit is definitely worth your time.

The Chelsea Market is an enclosed food market built in the former factory complex where the Oreo cookie was invented and produced for decades. The stunning and newly renovated building is part of a large revitalization process of the Meatpacking District. Since there are lots of offices nearby, the market is packed 7 days a week. In the warmer months, people buy food at the market and have their lunches at the High Line. A pretty sweet plan, in my opinion.

It will only take you half a day to cover both places and when in New York, don't miss it. It is well worth the time.

New York City

Thinking like a “new guy”

While reading my Twitter stream this week I saw something that made me think:

“The good thing about being the new guy is that you can express your honest opinion. The new guy has an untrained mind that has not been polluted by the politics and the language used in the work environment.”

Isn’t that the absolute truth? The new guy is the idealist, the dreamer, the one who doesn’t know anything about “how things are done around here”. He is also the only person who can look at a situation critically and provide an honest point of view, the only one who can look at things from a fresh perspective and possibly one of the few who can tackle difficult problems everyone else has been trying to solve for ages.

Walk around your office and talk to people. Noticed how much the environment dictates decisions. “It has always been done that way”, “that won’t work”, “we have tried that before”, “we don’t have time for this” and the new guy slowly starts thinking just like everyone else.  I once heard from a colleague that he remembered when I had first joined the company: “You had great ideas and you wanted to change things. Now you know how we roll.” Sad but true.

I am not suggesting that you can’t have a fresh perspective after you have been around for some time. What I am saying is that most people give up. It is much easier to roll with the punches and accept status quo. Thinking like “a new guy” is hard work. It requires commitment to one’s beliefs and courage to give honest opinions even though people may get hurt.

Another reason why we don’t do it is that we need balls to say how terrible a particular idea is and we also need to put in a lot of extra work to come up with something better, smarter and more original.

This is my challenge to you: next time you hear something that doesn’t make sense, say you don’t like it. Straight up. Push the group to come up with something better. If someone throws the good old “that’s how we have always done it”, question it. Maybe you are not going to change the world but I am sure you feel a lot better for having said it.

Silence

Silence, silence, silence.

Silence awakens the sleeping seeker in me.

Silence enlightens the aspiring seeker in me.

Silence fulfils the self-giving seeker in me.

Silence, silence, silence.

- Sri Chinmoy