So this has nothing to do with the crappy comic Love Is (though I do love these creative knockoffs from The End of Humor ). It does have to do with a wonderful new start-up that seems to blowing the doors off of online documents. I hate to say it, but they have done everything right out of the box. I'm talking about Scribd.com.

I could gush endlessly about what they nailed, but you need to play around to see the beauty of their design. The tactile feel of using print is kept even with the exciting Web 2.0 goodies that allow you to seamlessly flow from one document to another. For a library geek there is no greater pleasure then to find a unique read you never knew existed.

Have you had a solid dose of Sci-Fi lately? Read up and chow down on three mind-altering Science Fiction short stories. Even if you're not a big fan of Sci-Fi, these human insightful stories are bound to excite:

The Last Question
by Issac Asimov

The Nine Billion Names of God
by Arthur C. Clarke

They're Made Out of Meat
by Terry Bisson

Let's put our lab coats on and undo some fake beliefs:
The Most Popular Myths in Science Revealed

The old maxim "you get what you pay for" has always seemed a bit absurd to me in the confines of education. Knowledge is simply free and due to speed of technology, abundant. With a few cameras and microphones why couldn't we all benefit from the world's greatest teaching minds?

And if time teaches us anything it is that the willing rarely align with the bodies present as it relates to higher education. I wonder what the percentage of people who enter college to sit down and learn is anymore? College seems to be a cultural approved experiment which allows kids to test the social waters of your interests and independence. The irony here is that this is the first time in the history of humanity that "growing up" has been defined at such late a date. A hundred years ago if you didn't know what you wanted to do with your life, and you were 20, you were rightfully a social outcast.

Autodidacts are rare in the United States, so if you are one of those elusive folks that can enjoy education on your own terms, dig in and enjoy this link:

FREE MIND CANDY

Whew! I'm nearly alive. I made it through the past few weeks with almost all of my appendages in their original shrink-wrapped packaging. Yay for living!

Anywho, apparently I'm not the only one who goes on benders unannounced only to return undaunted. The kind folks at Jellyvision have gifted their 15 year-old son "You Don't Know Jack" back into the world of gaming. More specifically, they lent us the "Dis or Dat" game filled with current event questions.

Ten years ago I found this series stunning. Interactivity in video games was limited to action-based titles (sports, adventure, FPS), but YDKJ was the first to nail clever human conversation. Within a few hours of play it began to feel that "Cookie", a virtual game show host, was really responding to your choices with precision wit. It made a low-tech quiz show feel more advanced then even many of the highest rated action fare available today.

Luckily, Jellyvision saw the potential for intelligent forms of user interaction above games. While they continued making the excellent YDKJ series on the side, their emphasis swung straight toward big businesses. By viewing their portfolio below you can see how beautifully this applies to many industries with surprising results. Traveling through their applications is simply a joy, and unlike the human-based systems we see in excess these programs respond with marketing approved wit and visual style.

These Jelly people have a great little White Paper about the dynamics of creating compelling interactive conversations which can be downloaded by clicking HERE. I suggest you check it out if this is your bag, and then promptly give them pockets full of money.

If enjoy the subject of interactive dialogue and multi-path narrative I also highly recommend the book Hamlet on the Holodeck by Janet H Murray. This MIT Press book takes a look at the future of this form from way-back when YDKJ was originally popular but she really nails where the art form was headed. It is enjoyable and optimistic read about the power of interactive fiction. (And the name is the worst part. It is all puppy dogs and first-kisses from the first page onwards.)

And it is free. Plus, it is about bootstrapping. Did I mention Seth Godin created it? Oh yeah. Damn. What are you waiting for? Download it!

You don't have to be smart to be considered a genius.

It's a nice point that most folks overlook, but according to an article in the September 2006 issue of New Scientist magazine it is one we need to believe. Check out the interesting read HERE. For those who fear the jump, the message is that only practice and effort build great skill. This skill builds what is considered "genius" level ability.

It is an awesome thought. YOU have the power to control your future. Whatever your passion is, wherever it may lie, you are in control of how well you do. It can't be blamed on family or genetics...If you fail to achieve your dreams of world recognition then you know why.

The best part of the article revolved on a magic number though. The question in the above is, if I am very passionate about something how long will it take to achieve a level big enough to make an impact? The answer is only five to ten years. While at first it may seem like a ton, the truth is it gives us time enough to try and fail and try again. There is no excuse great enough for you not to express your unique self in the area you love.

Now if only more folks believed they should live for something we might actually be getting somewhere...

A simple dare for a lazy Saturday:

If you're a writer who would like to continue telling the same repetitive tales and never understand the underlining structure of what makes a "good" story, I dare you NOT to click on the link below.


GAIN HAPPINESS or BREAK THE DARE. YOUR CALL.

For everyone else who is interested in the art of moving stories then buy Robert McKee's "Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting" right now. Please, the world would be a better place. Do it now. I've learned more from a few hundred pages about strengthening my books then by a lifetime of writing. It is a gifted, inspiring, and exacting book that changes the life of almost all the writer's hands it touches.

Until I get my act together and post a proper blogroll I had to call out two blogs which make my heart soar on a daily basis.

Drawn! &

Temple of the Seven Golden Camels

Please take a look and enjoy! Sincere thanks for all of their hard work.

I have a bit of a confession to make: I'm not that big of a fan of Understanding Comics.

Blasphemous I'm sure, but this is just how I feel. Reading Understanding Comics made me feel like I was watching an autopsy of my beloved art form. Sure it is the best book on Comics and Comic-theory, but I prefer to let the magic live instead of dissecting what I'd fashioned through blood, sweat, and tears up to that point. I've even read it religiously every year hoping that I'd be mature enough to gleam the true magic I'd been missing. Each year I'd walk away disappointed.

Don't get me wrong - that didn't stop me from trumpeting it as a must read to comics fans or artists. And the sequel, Reinventing Comics was an equally compelling and exciting argument for the future of the artform. But I never felt they lived up to the pedigree they'd received. When I heard Scott MCloud's latest book in this series (called "Making Comics") was due for a September release I made a note to investigate out of industry obligation.

With all of that weighty confessional said, Making Comics is the real deal. Go out there and pick this up right now.

Maybe my excitement here is because I wasn't expecting much. Reinventing Comics didn't fall far from the first book's point of view. Making Comics feels like a better, cleaner, more intense experience then either of his previous titles. This is the kind of book that makes you want to draw non-stop for days on end. It makes you want to pour your soul onto bristol. I makes you want to thank goodness for people like Scott McCloud.

There is something special in these pages that isn't inside any other comic creation overview. It does what it does with wit and precision, and makes me look back at Understanding Comics in a new light. That book is very good, but it was the stepping stone to the masterpiece that is Making Comics. Without a doubt, I will re-read this each year and I can be sure that I won't walk away without learning something exciting and new.

Sincere thanks Mr. McCloud.

While a few days back I blasted "Pop" business books for re-selling nearly the same themes, there is one recent title which I can't seem to shake. Getting Things Done is a book by David Allen about...well I think you can guess. It is a fairly light read but it talks about how to better organize your life to maximize your potential through simple steps. The interesting part is that Allen discusses why these steps have meaning and knowing the why upfront is key to setting this into motions. Plus, I think his "why" is correct.

Well, I tried to ignore the hype. Fervent users are said to have joined "the cult of GTD" and obsess over how to implement it's tips more effectively. I just didn't have time to be more productive right now.

A few weeks back I caved in and read it in a train ride. I thought it sounded great, like many of these self-help novels do, and I was pumped to begin. But putting it into practice I started to wonder if it was truly possible to follow the thoughts inside when a person has spent their life using a self-created system. I set the book down and gave it some thought.

Low and behold, I'm happy to say today I've implemented most of the tenets of GTD. My home office is spotless, I have a firm list of ongoing projects marked by priority, and I updated my filing system so that inspirational thoughts or idea. I still have a long way to go but I do feel its benefits.

The most important note here is that Allen frequently discusses GTD in the context of a day-time job. While I understand that this is the audience he is aiming for I find GTD many time more compelling for everyday life. When juggling a job plus all of the other bits a system to enjoy it along the way truly helps.

Imagine applying your full self to every page of a new novel or painting!

If you're interested in GTD I'd highly recommend the following links:

I've read my share of "pop-psych" business books in the last few years.

Be it about effectiveness (Seven Habits), excellence (Good to Great), the or a new view of the paradigm shift (Tipping Point or Blink), or more recently, Chris Anderson's The Long Tail.

All of them are nice interesting reads, but they have about as much unique content as something scribbled on a bathroom stall.

On first impression it is easy to believe these titles are non-fiction. Surely the author set about in a scientific fashion to gather the data and then come to a conclusion, right? Well, the answer is obviously "No". Careers are made or lost on their books and the bigger more dynamic claim one can make, the better your book can sell. That is why many of the above default to literary masters to pull their best parts.

Let me summarize these five books in two sentences:

Being meek or humble is the ultimate business benefit. - Seven Habits, Good to Great

The actions of a few can ripple affect the many. - Tipping Point, Blink, The Longtail


There could also be a third line which encompasses another thread in both:

Trust your gut instincts.


Take a good look at the above and compare them to your experiences. Do they have the ring of truth to you?

When I realized that I'm being resold the same narrative tale I've always heard, now dressed up in a non-fiction trapping, it was disconcerning to say the least. I might as well get out Joseph Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces and start a comparative checklist.

Or maybe these are modern retellings of America's streets being paved with gold. Lies - yes, but as long as the masses are entertained we can continue.

The point here being that catch-phrases exist to distract the lazy into thinking that life can be won by simply repeating a simple password. Upon uttering its last syllables the pearly gates open and we all dance into the sunset. The truth is hard work, good ideas, and a spirit that never gives up will trump any other method hands down. Pop business titles are great to read if you understand you are being sold a pretty plastic truth.